UK remands 2 Iranians over alleged antisemitic terror plot

A London magistrate has ordered two Iranian nationals to remain in custody following charges that they planned terror attacks against Jewish sites in northern England.

The suspects, identified as 34-year-old Rahman S. and 36-year-old Salam A., appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday. They were arrested on September 20, just before the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, though details of the investigation were only disclosed publicly following their formal charging on Friday.

According to prosecutors, the men conducted surveillance on several Jewish locations in Manchester, including the Manchester Jewish Museum and the Heaton Park synagogue. The court heard that the suspects examined photographs, diagrams, and digital maps to evaluate their targets.

Prosecuting lawyer Mark Luckett told the hearing that the men intended to build an improvised bomb. They allegedly communicated with an individual believed to be based in Iran, who reportedly gave them guidance on combining brake fluid and chlorine to create a homemade explosive.

Both defendants originally reached the United Kingdom by crossing the English Channel aboard small boats, the court was told. One has received refugee status, while the other still has an asylum claim under review. Neither man entered a formal plea during Saturday's proceedings, and they are scheduled to appear next at the Old Bailey on October 23.

Vicki Evans, who serves as the senior national coordinator for British counterterrorism policing, stated that investigators view the Manchester scheme as an isolated incident, emphasizing that it poses no active danger to the wider public.

Evans also confirmed that the case has no connection to another suspected plot uncovered last weekend near the RAF Fairford air base in western England. That separate inquiry led to the arrest and subsequent conditional release of six individuals, including a dual British-Iranian citizen and five British nationals. Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously remarked that the air base incident exhibited strong indicators of Iranian ties, an accusation that Tehran has denied.

British security services have remained on heightened vigilance regarding potential hostile activity linked to Iran and Russia. Authorities have noted a documented history of Iranian operations targeting critics, dissidents, and Jewish institutions across the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, police forces nationwide have maintained increased patrols around synagogues and community centers amid a broader rise in antisemitic incidents.