Bomb plot against Manchester Jews: two Iranians to stand trial in June 2027

Two Iranian men accused of plotting a homemade bomb attack on Manchester's Jewish community will go on trial at Manchester Crown Court from 15 June 2027. The date was set on Friday, 23 October 2026, at a hearing at London's Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey.

Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, and Salam Ahmadian, 36, of Liverpool, both Iranian nationals, are charged with "preparation of terrorist acts" under Section 5 of the UK Terrorism Act. Their lawyers told the court both intend to plead not guilty. The judge set a preliminary hearing for 16 April 2027 and estimated the trial would last about five weeks.

Alleged targets and a contact in Iran

British prosecutors say the pair's alleged targets included the Manchester Jewish Museum and the Heaton Park synagogue, the same synagogue that was hit by a knife attack on Yom Kippur in October 2025 that left two dead. According to police, the defendants were in contact with a person abroad, probably in Iran, who prosecutors say gave them instructions for building a chlorine-based improvised bomb.

Both men were arrested in Manchester on 20 September 2026. According to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, they arrived in Britain on small boats several years ago; Rahman Salehi has been granted asylum and Salam Ahmadian's asylum claim is still pending. Police said there is no ongoing threat to the public. The Islamic Republic has denied any involvement in recent plots in Britain.

A chain of plots linked to the Islamic Republic in Britain

The case joins several others in Britain attributed to the Islamic Republic: from arrests near RAF Fairford, the air base from which American bombers have taken off to strike the Islamic Republic, to the trial of those accused of spying on Iran International journalists in London. The British government had previously said the Islamic Republic "was involved" in the plan to attack near Fairford.

Security experts have repeatedly warned that the Islamic Republic uses proxies and criminal networks for transnational repression and for attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe, in order to hide its direct footprint.

British prosecutors say instructions for a chlorine bomb to attack Manchester's Jews came from a person probably in Iran.