Iranian men to go on trial next year over alleged plot to target UK Jewish community

Two Iranian nationals, Rahman Salehi and Salam Ahmadyan, are to go on trial next year in the UK, charged with plotting to attack the Jewish community in Manchester using a homemade bomb. The men appeared at London's Old Bailey on Friday and intend to plead not guilty. The prosecution alleges they conducted reconnaissance of Jewish sites on the eve of Yom Kippur.

Two Iranian nationals, Rahman Salehi (34) and Salam Ahmadyan (36), are due to go on trial next year in the UK, charged with plotting to attack the Jewish community in Manchester using a homemade bomb. The men appeared at London's Old Bailey on Friday, where their lawyers stated they intend to plead not guilty. Prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court the men were allegedly seen by police taking photos and video of Jewish sites in Manchester on the eve of Yom Kippur in September. The prosecution alleges this was reconnaissance for a terrorist attack, and that the men were in contact with a third party believed to be based in Iran, who provided instructions for assembling a device from chlorine and brake fluid. Their alleged targets included the Manchester Jewish Museum and Heaton Park synagogue, where a deadly attack occurred almost a year ago. The trial is listed to start in Manchester on June 15, 2027. UK Home Minister Shabana Mahmood stated the pair arrived in Britain on a small boat from Europe several years ago, with one granted asylum and the other having a live claim. She warned of serious threats from the Iranian regime targeting Jewish communities.