Iran led attempted attack against Jews in Britain on Yom Kippur | The full story

British police revealed that two suspects, Salam Ahmadian and Rahman Salehi, planned a terrorist attack against Jews in Manchester during Yom Kippur, directed by an Iranian source. The two maintained direct contact with Tehran, purchased improvised explosives, and conducted reconnaissance. Their arrest was carried out on September 20, a day before the holiday, by the counter-terrorism unit.

The affair, which broke hours after another arrest in London, exposes a broad Iranian terrorist infrastructure operating on British soil. According to the British counter-terrorism police, the defendants are Salam Ahmadian (36) and Rahman Salehi (34). The two planned to carry out a terrorist attack during the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. As part of their preparations, they were charged with purchasing improvised explosives using encrypted apps, and a guide for making bombs based on chlorine and brake fluid was found in their possession. The investigation reveals that Ahmadian (based in Liverpool) and Salehi (resident in Balsall Heath near Manchester) did not rely solely on digital instructions. They collected maps, plans, and data on potential targets, and conducted field reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It also emerged that the two maintained close contact with a third party—apparently a hostile source within Iran—who accompanied and directed the plot. Their arrest was carried out on September 20, just a day before Yom Kippur, by the counter-terrorism unit in Manchester. The timing of the revelation is particularly chilling: the planned attack was intended to coincide exactly with the anniversary of the severe attack that occurred last year at the Heaton Park synagogue. The affair re-raises difficult questions about security, borders, and immigration policy. The British government confirmed that both suspects infiltrated the country in recent years by crossing the English Channel in small boats. A government minister, Ben Mahmoud, said the news would be hard and unsettling for Jewish communities. The discovery of the terrorist cell in Manchester joins the arrest of another Iranian citizen (25) in London on suspicion of planning a separate attack against the British air force base RAF Fairford. Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the British police, Vicky Evans, emphasized that both cases clearly highlighted the broader threats emanating from Iran to Britain. The Iranian embassy in London strongly denied the claims of involvement in the plot against the military base, but has not yet responded to reports about the planning of attacks against Jews.