Two Iranian men accused of Manchester synagogue bomb plot appear in court

SharpPost Editorial Team | 3 October 2026

Two Iranian men appeared in a London court on Saturday accused of preparing a bomb attack against Manchester's Jewish community. Prosecutors said their potential targets included the Heaton Park synagogue, where two worshippers were killed in an attack a year ago.

Rahman Salehi, of Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, of Liverpool, were arrested on 20 September and charged on 2 October. The Crown Prosecution Service said they face a charge of preparing acts of terrorism under section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, covering alleged conduct on or before 20 September.

At Westminster Magistrates' Court, prosecutor Mark Luckett said the pair allegedly carried out reconnaissance at Jewish sites, including the Heaton Park synagogue and Manchester Jewish Museum in Cheetham Hill.

Luckett also alleged that a third Iranian national directed and coordinated the planned attack and provided bomb-making instructions. Prosecutors assessed that this person was most likely operating from Iran.

The Metropolitan Police's account of the charges lists alleged efforts to obtain bomb components through encrypted communications, acquire instructional documents and videos, and obtain equipment. The men are also accused of researching potential targets online, gathering photographs, plans and maps, and visiting possible attack locations.

The court heard that Salehi arrived in Britain by small boat in 2020 and was granted asylum in 2023. Ahmadyan arrived by small boat in 2023, and his asylum claim remains pending.

The Heaton Park synagogue in north Manchester was attacked on 2 October 2025 during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Two members of the congregation died and three others were seriously injured. In a statement marking the first anniversary, Counter Terrorism Policing said the physical threat to Jewish communities and Israeli institutions in Britain remained high.

Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing, said investigators believed they had disrupted the alleged Manchester plot and did not believe there was an ongoing public threat linked to this case. Greater Manchester Police said patrols and security measures would continue, alongside work with community leaders and the Community Security Trust.

Neither man entered a plea at Saturday's hearing. District Judge Nina Tempia remanded both in custody until a hearing at London's Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, on 23 October. The allegations have not been proven in court.