Two Iranian men appeared in a London court charged with plotting a terrorism attack against the Jewish community in Manchester, England, according to multiple outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters, BBC News and the Washington Times. Prosecutors said the men had been instructed and provided materials to make a homemade bomb for possible use on Jewish targets, according to Politico Europe and the BBC.
The men were named by GB News as Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, who were arrested in Manchester on Sunday, September 20, according to GB News. They were charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts on Friday, according to GB News, which cited Counter Terrorism Policing. The Straits Times and Reuters reported the men appeared in a London court on Saturday.
Prosecutors said the pair conducted reconnaissance at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester and the Jewish Museum in Cheetham Hill, according to GB News and the Guardian, which reported the men identified the synagogue as a site for the alleged bomb plot. RTÉ News and Arab News noted the synagogue had previously been the site of a fatal terrorist attack. According to GB News, prosecutor Mark Luckett said the men were in contact with a third party alleged to have directed and coordinated the planned attack and provided instructions on assembling a homemade explosive device; the Straits Times reported this figure is believed to be based in Iran.
Several outlets, including the New York Post and National Post, reported that the alleged plot coincided with the anniversary of the October 2025 attack at the same synagogue during Yom Kippur, when, according to GB News, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove a car into the synagogue gates and attacked worshippers with a knife, killing Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53. Al Jazeera English and CBS News similarly reported the alleged plot was timed ahead of or around Yom Kippur.
The Financial Times, GB News, Breitbart and the Times reported that the two men had arrived in the UK on small boats, with Breitbart describing them as illegal migrants. This detail about their mode of arrival was emphasized in several right-leaning reports but was largely absent from left- and center-leaning coverage, which focused more on the charges and the alleged target.
How the coverage differed
Right-leaning outlets, including GB News, the Financial Times, Breitbart and the Times, emphasized that the men arrived in Britain via small boats, framing them in several headlines as "small boat migrants." This detail was largely absent from left-leaning coverage from outlets such as the AP, CNN, Bloomberg and NBC News, which focused headlines on the charges, the Jewish community as a target, and the alleged use of a chlorine or homemade bomb.
Center-leaning outlets, including the BBC, Reuters, Politico Europe and the Straits Times, provided the most detail on the mechanics of the alleged plot, citing prosecutors' descriptions of the homemade bomb instructions and the alleged direction from a figure believed based in Iran. RTÉ News and Arab News were among the few outlets to explicitly note the synagogue's history as the site of a previous fatal attack, a detail GB News and National Post also included with more specificity, naming the October 2025 attacker and victims.
Only GB News, among the supplied sources, named the two defendants, gave their ages and addresses, and detailed the prosecutor's in-court statement about the alleged third-party coordinator, making several of these specifics single-source claims not corroborated elsewhere in the supplied material.
What is still unclear
The sources do not specify the current legal status of the men following their court appearance, including whether they were remanded in custody or granted bail, or when any further hearings are scheduled. It also remains unclear from the supplied material who the alleged third-party coordinator is beyond being described as a figure believed to be based in Iran.
How each side covered it
Left
- Reports led with the charges against two Iranian men over an alleged bomb plot targeting the Jewish community in Manchester.
- Several outlets specified the plot allegedly involved a chlorine or homemade bomb.
- Coverage noted the men appeared in court but gave limited detail on their arrival in the UK.
- Al Jazeera and CBS News linked the alleged plot to the Yom Kippur period.
“Prosecutor says 2 Iranian men scouted a UK synagogue for a chlorine bomb plot” — Associated Press
Center
- Reports detailed prosecutors' account that the men received instructions and materials to build a homemade bomb.
- Center outlets cited an alleged third party believed based in Iran who directed the plot.
- RTÉ News and Arab News noted the synagogue had previously been the site of a fatal attack.
- The Straits Times specified the court appearance took place in London on a Saturday.
“Police said the two men received instructions and materials to make a homemade bomb for possible use on Jewish targets.” — Politico Europe
Right
- Right-leaning outlets emphasized that the two men arrived in the UK on small boats.
- GB News named the suspects, their ages, addresses and arrest date, and quoted the prosecutor in court.
- Several outlets detailed the 2025 synagogue attack, naming the attacker and the two victims killed.
- Reports linked the alleged plot's timing to the Yom Kippur anniversary of that earlier attack.
“Two Iranian small boat migrants allegedly 'identified Heaton Park Synagogue as bomb plot target', court hears” — GB News
Questions readers ask
What happened in the alleged UK bomb plot case?
Two Iranian men appeared in a London court charged with preparing acts of terrorism, accused of scouting Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester and a nearby Jewish museum as targets for an alleged homemade bomb attack, according to multiple outlets.
Who are the men charged in the alleged plot?
GB News identified them as Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, who were arrested in Manchester on September 20 and charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts.
Why does the timing of the alleged plot matter?
Multiple outlets, including the New York Post and Al Jazeera English, reported the alleged plot was linked to the period around Yom Kippur, coinciding with the anniversary of a 2025 attack on the same Manchester synagogue that killed two worshippers.
What did left- and right-leaning outlets focus on differently?
Right-leaning outlets such as GB News and Breitbart emphasized that the men had arrived in the UK on small boats, while left-leaning outlets like the AP and CNN focused headlines on the charges and the alleged targeting of the Jewish community.
What is still unknown about the case?
The supplied reports do not clarify the men's custody status after their court appearance or the identity of the alleged third-party coordinator described by prosecutors as believed to be based in Iran.
Sources · 35 outlet reports
- Al Jazeera EnglishLeft-leaningTwo Iranians charged over alleged plot targeting Jewish community in UK
- Associated PressLeft-leaningProsecutor says 2 Iranian men scouted a UK synagogue for a chlorine bomb plot
- BloombergLeft-leaningTwo Iranian Men Charged Over Plot Targeting UK Jewish Community
- CBS NewsLeft-leaningU.K. police accuse 2 Iranian men of planning terror attack on Manchester's Jewish community
- CNNLeft-leaningUK charges 2 Iranian men over alleged Yom Kippur terror plot in Manchester
- NBC NewsLeft-leaningTwo Iranian nationals charged over alleged terrorism plot targeting Jewish community in U.K.
- PBS NewsHourLeft-leaningProsecutor says 2 Iranian men scouted a UK synagogue for a chlorine bomb plot
- The GuardianLeft-leaningTwo Iranian men charged over alleged terror plot targeting Manchester’s Jewish community
- The IndependentLeft-leaningTwo men charged with suspected terror plot against Jewish community in Manchester
- The MirrorLeft-leaning'Bomb attack targets' in Manchester named as Iranian men charged with alleged terror plot
- Arab NewsCenterTwo Iranians charged with planning attack on Manchester Jews
- BBC NewsCenterTwo men charged with terrorism offences in Manchester
- BBC SportCenterTwo men charged with terrorism offences in Manchester
- CNACenterTwo Iranians appear in UK court over alleged plot to target Jews
- Deutsche WelleCenterUK remands 2 Iranians over alleged antisemitic terror plot
- Financial TimesCenterTwo Iranian small-boat migrants charged with plotting attack on Jewish targets in Manchester
- Politico EuropeCenterTwo Iranians charged with alleged bomb plot against Britain’s Jewish community
- ReutersCenterTwo Iranian nationals charged over alleged terrorism plot targeting Jewish community
- RTÉ NewsCenterTwo Iranians charged over alleged Manchester bomb plot
- Sky NewsCenterTwo Iranian men charged over suspected terror plot targeting Jewish people in Manchester ahead of Yom Kippur
- The Straits TimesCenterTwo Iranians charged in UK with planning attack on Manchester Jews
- UPICenterIranians charged with terrorism in attack on U.K. Jewish community
- BreitbartRight-leaningTwo Iranian Illegal Migrants Charged with Plotting Terror Attacks on Jewish Targets in Britain
- Daily ExpressRight-leaningTwo Iranian 'small boat migrants' charged over alleged terror plot
- GB NewsRight-leaningTwo Iranians who arrived on small boats charged with plotting terror attack in UK
- Independent Journal ReviewRight-leaningIranians charged over alleged plot targeting Manchester Jews
- National PostRight-leaningTwo Iranian men charged over terror plot against Manchester Jews: U.K. police
- New York PostRight-leaningTwo Iranians charged with plotting terror attack on British Jews on Yom Kippur
- NewsmaxRight-leaning2 Iranians Charged in UK Jewish Terror Plot
- RedStateRight-leaningUK Charges 2 Iranians in Jewish Community Bomb Plot
- The Jerusalem PostRight-leaningUK police arrest two Iranians over alleged terrorist plot against Jews
- The SunRight-leaningTwo Iranians, 36 & 34, who 'arrived by small boat' charged over Manchester 'terror plot' against Jewish community
- The TelegraphRight-leaningIranian small boat migrants charged over Yom Kippur terror plot
- The TimesRight-leaningIranian small boat migrants charged with terror plot on Jewish community
- The Washington TimesRight-leaningProsecutor says 2 Iranian men scouted a U.K. synagogue for a chlorine bomb plot