Two Iranians Charged in UK Over Plot Against Jewish Community

British authorities have charged two Iranian nationals, 35-year-old Rahman Salehi and 36-year-old Salam Ahmadian, with preparing to commit a terror attack targeting the Jewish community in northern England. Police stated the men were allegedly in contact with a third party outside the UK, possibly based in Iran. The charges were filed on the anniversary of a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue where two Jews were murdered on Yom Kippur last year. The suspects are due to appear in court in Westminster, London. While details of the planned attack and its intended target were not fully disclosed, police confirmed the investigation thwarted a plot aimed at harming the Jewish community before it could be executed. The arrests occurred just hours before Yom Kippur began, following a long-term investigation. Security officials believe an immediate threat was neutralized at the last moment. This incident follows a previous attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester, where Jihad Al-Shami, wearing a fake explosive belt, killed two Jewish worshippers, Melvin Crevitz and Adrian Dolbey, after running them over and stabbing them. Separately, British authorities are investigating a potential terror plot near RAF Fairford, a base used by both the Royal Air Force and the US Air Force, which has been involved in operations against Iran. In connection with this second investigation, a 25-year-old dual British-Iranian citizen was arrested in London, and five young British men were previously detained near the base on suspicion of terror offenses and explosives possession. Investigators are examining the possibility of foreign state involvement in this second case, though police emphasized there is no connection between the two separate incidents. Vicky Evans of the Counter Terrorism Unit stated that authorities are working with national security agencies to counter hostile activities against Britain.