Police say a man, most likely in Iran, was in contact with two Iranian nationals in Britain as part of a plot to get a bomb to attack Jewish targets in Manchester.
The two men charged on Friday with planning acts of terrorism were arrested two Sundays ago in broad daylight in a Manchester street during the Jewish holiday period.
Police said the two men face charges that they gained materials and instructions to make a homemade bomb, identified possible targets and carried out reconnaissance ahead of an attack.
Rahman Salehi, ۳۴, from Salford, and Salam Ahmadyan, ۳۶, from Liverpool have been charged with preparing to commit an act of terrorism or assisting another to commit an act of terrorism.
Police said: “It is alleged that the two men were in contact with an overseas third-party who may be in Iran in relation to the plot.”
The development, terrorism charges and detail given so far by British authorities marks an extraordinary chapter in British and Iranian relations.
The prime minister, Andy Burnham, said Iran had a link to a weekend scare at RAF Fairford when five men were arrested close to the military base, along with three vans, one of which contained petrol in a barrel. Those men have now been bailed, having been arrested in the early hours of Sunday in the Gloucestershire countryside on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing a terrorist act.
Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner and the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism, said: “This week also brought into sharp focus some of the wider threats being projected into the UK from Iran.
“While this [Manchester] incident and the investigation into the RAF Fairford incident are not connected in any way, I want to reassure the public that CTP, working with our national security partners, are using the full range of our capabilities to protect the UK from any hostile acts.”
The alleged plot in Manchester, where the two arrests followed a joint counter-terrorism police and MI۵ investigation, has significant potential ramifications on several fronts.
A government statement, minutes after the police announced the charges, revealed one of those accused over the Manchester plot had been granted asylum status in the UK and the other had an asylum application pending.
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, revealed that both of the accused had come to Britain via small boats, one in ۲۰۲۰ and another in ۲۰۲۳, when the Conservatives were in power.
Mahmood said Iran had shown hostile intent to the UK in a series of incidents.
“The fact both suspects arrived by small boat several years ago is a reminder of the importance of our relentless work to tackle illegal migration into this country,” she said. “While numbers are down, I know there is more we must do.
“We will be unrelenting in our efforts to protect our Jewish communities, root out antisemitism in this country, and maintain our border security.
“It is no secret that this country faces a range of serious threats from the Iranian regime. They target our Jewish communities and try to silence their critics overseas, often through proxies and criminal networks to hide their involvement.
“The prime minister has been clear there are strong indications of Iran’s involvement in the events near RAF Fairford. We are responding to these threats with new powers and record funding to disrupt hostile activity.
This week marked the anniversary of an attack on the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, where two worshippers died, as well as the attacker who said he supported Islamic State and was shot dead by police.
Jews in Britain have faced a dramatic increase in attacks since the ۷ October attack on Israel by Hamas, which has ties to Iran. It led to an internationally condemned military response by Israel in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people.
The Community Safety Trust, which offers security and advice to British Jews, said: “The charging of two men in connection with an alleged plot targeting the Manchester Jewish community will be deeply concerning to Jews across the UK.
“These charges come exactly a year after the appalling terrorist attack at Heaton Park synagogue, and are a reminder of the ongoing terrorist threats facing British Jews.
“We urge the Jewish community to remain calm and report any suspicious activity to police and CST.”
In a statement, counter-terrorism police said the charges will allege the two men were “communicating with others using encrypted applications to acquire components to assemble a homemade explosive device”.
Furthermore, the charges allege they obtained a document called “Steps for Making [a] Powder Chlorine and Car Brake Oil/Fluid Bomb”, obtained video instructions on how to make an improvised explosive device (IED), and got the “liquids, components and equipment” to make an IED.
The charges also allege the men carried out internet research on targets, acquired “images, plans and maps of potential targets for attack” and carried out reconnaissance.
Iran has faced attack by the US, with Britain allowing the RAF Fairford base to be used, which it said is for defensive operations by its Washington ally. Tehran’s embassy in London this week denied any involvement in the events at RAF Fairford.
Evans said: “These are extremely serious charges and allegations, and have come about from a joint CTP investigation, working closely with our partners in the security services. This investigation has led to the disruption of what we believe to have been a plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester.”
The men were arrested on ۲۰ September in Newton Street, in the Northern Quarter area of Manchester’s city centre, just before ۳pm, hours before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Salehi and Ahmadyan are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on ۳ October.
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and we remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendants in this case are active and they have the right to a fair trial.”
As part of the investigation officers raided and searched properties on Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford.
