An attack plot on Yom Kippur. The United Kingdom presses charges against two Iranian men

Two Iranian men have been charged with terrorist crimes over an alleged plot to attack the Jewish community in Manchester on the eve of Yom Kippur, the latest in a wave of anti-Semitic attacks in the UK this year. The London Metropolitan Police revealed the identity of the suspects: Salam Ahmadian (36 years old) from Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi (34 years old) from Salford. They were arrested on September 20 - the eve of the holiest day in Judaism - a year after a bloody attack targeted a synagogue in Manchester.

The police said that they were charged with "engaging in conduct preparatory to terrorist acts" on Friday. The authorities also reported that the two men were allegedly in contact with a third person believed to be in Iran regarding the alleged plot.

The Senior National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism Operations, Vicky Evans, said: “These accusations and allegations are extremely serious, and came as a result of a joint investigation conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Unit in close cooperation with our partners in the security services.” Evans added that the investigation contributed to thwarting what was believed to have been a plot targeting the Jewish community, noting at the same time that the authorities do not believe there is an existing threat to the public related to this attempted attack.

These charges come a year after a bloody attack that included a car ramming and stabbing outside a synagogue in Manchester, killing at least two people. It also comes just one day after the arrest of another Iranian national with British citizenship on suspicion of involvement in terrorist crimes linked to an alleged plot to target a British air base used by the US military in Fairford, western England.

The young man (25 years old) was arrested in the Westminster area of ​​London, after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that there were “strong indications” of Iranian involvement in the incident, which the Iranian government denied. The authorities stated that there is not believed to be a link between the air base incident and the recent attempted attack targeting the Jewish community in Manchester.

This year, the United Kingdom witnessed a wave of anti-Semitic attacks, including attacks on synagogues and other community buildings; Subsequently, the British government announced the deployment of additional police forces to protect areas inhabited by a Jewish majority throughout the country.