Two Iranian nationals charged in alleged Manchester bomb plot appear in court
Two Iranian men accused of planning a chlorine bomb targeting Manchester's Jewish community were remanded in custody after appearing before a British court.
Two Iranian men, identified as Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, appeared in a Manchester court on Saturday after being charged with terror offences linked to an alleged bomb plot against the local Jewish community. The defendants, who arrived in the United Kingdom via small-boat crossings, confirmed their identities through interpreters, according to court reports.
Prosecutor Mark Luckett said the pair were in contact with an Iranian national believed to be directing the operation from Iran, providing instructions for assembling a homemade explosive device. He added that the suspects had researched potential targets online and conducted reconnaissance of sites including the Jewish Museum and Heaton Park Synagogue, the same venue attacked in a deadly 2022 bombing.
"We continue to see antisemitic sentiment appearing with increasing frequency," said Laurence Taylor, head of counter-terrorism policing, in a statement marking the anniversary of the Manchester synagogue attack.
The two men will remain in custody pending a further hearing on October 23. Salehi, who was granted asylum in 2023, has permission to stay in the UK until July 2028, while Ahmadyan’s asylum claim is still pending.