Manchester — Two Iranian Men Charged in Synagogue Bomb Plot

Two Iranian men appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Oct. 3, 2026, charged with preparing acts of terrorism against Manchester's Jewish community, according to the BBC. District Judge Nina Tempia remanded both men in custody until Oct. 23, when the case moves to the Old Bailey, the BBC reported.

Who are the two men charged?

Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, face charges of preparing to commit or assist an act of terrorism on or before Sept. 20, 2026, per the BBC's account of the court hearing. Both are Iranian nationals who arrived in the UK by small boat — Salehi in 2020, Ahmadyan in 2023 — according to testimony cited by the BBC. Salehi spent five years seeking asylum in Germany before being granted UK asylum in 2023, with leave to remain through July 2028, the court heard. Ahmadyan's asylum claim remains outstanding, the BBC reported.

What evidence did prosecutors present in court?

Prosecutor Mark Luckett told the court the men obtained instructions to build a chlorine bomb and acquired liquids and components for an improvised explosive device, the BBC reported. The Metropolitan Police said the pair used the internet to research potential targets, gathering images, plans and maps. Luckett said the two were observed conducting what prosecutors called "hostile reconnaissance" in Manchester's Jewish community, naming the Jewish Museum and Heaton Park Synagogue as identified targets, according to the BBC. Investigators carried out searches at two addresses — Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford — the BBC reported.

How does this case connect to the 2025 Heaton Park attack?

Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue was the site of an attack during Yom Kippur services in 2025, when Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove a vehicle into the gates and attacked worshippers with a knife while wearing a fake suicide belt, according to the BBC. Two British Jews — Melvin Kravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53 — were killed in that attack, the BBC reported. The newly charged men were arrested in Manchester's Northern Quarter on Sept. 20, 2026, the eve of Yom Kippur and roughly one year after the synagogue attack, according to the BBC.

Data box

• Ages of defendants: 34 (Salehi) and 36 (Ahmadyan), per BBC court reporting.
• Deaths in the 2025 Heaton Park Synagogue attack: 2 (Kravitz, 66; Daulby, 53), per the BBC.
• Arrest date: Sept. 20, 2026; next court date: Oct. 23, 2026 at the Old Bailey, per the BBC.

What happens next in the legal process?

Both defendants, who wore grey tracksuits in the dock and spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses through Kurdish and Farsi interpreters, remain in custody ahead of the Old Bailey appearance set for Oct. 23, 2026, the BBC reported. Court testimony indicated the men were allegedly "directed and co-ordinated" by another Iranian individual "most likely operating within Iran," according to the BBC.

What has the Home Secretary said?

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said before the hearing that the charges would be "deeply distressing" to Manchester's Jewish community as the city marked the first anniversary of the Heaton Park Synagogue attack, the BBC reported. Mahmood noted that both suspects had arrived in the UK by small boat years earlier, according to the BBC's account.

For related HTT News coverage of security and threat assessments, see UAE, Netanyahu Call FlyDubai Attack an Act of Terrorism.