Two UK Terror Cases Raise Questions Over Possible Iran Involvement

RFE
03 Oct 2026, 06:56 GMT+10

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14:32

Two UK Terror Cases Raise Questions Over Possible Iran Involvement

Two separate counterterrorism investigations in Britain involving Iranian nationals have raised questions over alleged plots targeting Jewish and military sites.

Two Iranian men, Rahman Salehi, 34, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, were charged in London on October 3 over an alleged plot to target Manchester's Jewish community with a homemade bomb.

Prosecutors allege they obtained instructions to make a chlorine bomb, acquired components for an improvised explosive device and carried out reconnaissance of potential targets, including Heaton Park synagogue and Manchester's Jewish Museum.

The men, who arrived in Britain by small boat, were arrested in Manchester on the eve of the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.

Prosecutors allege they were directed by an Iranian individual believed to be in Iran. Both were remanded in custody.

Separately, a 25-year-old British-Iranian dual national arrested over a major incident near the RAF Fairford air base was released on bail, police said.

Five other men arrested in connection with the incident were also released on bail.

Police were called after reports of suspicious vans near the Gloucestershire air base, which is used by the US military. No explosives were found.

British officials have cited possible Iranian involvement, while Tehran has rejected the allegations.

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10:54

Iran Hangs Man Detained During January Protests As Executions Continue

Iran has executed Siavash Jamshidi, who was arrested during the deadly January protests.

The Iranian judiciarys Mizan news agency on October 3 said Jamshidi was convicted of mohrebeh -- or waging war against God -- for allegedly carrying and firing a firearm, as well as assembly and collusion against national security.

The report claimed that Jamshidi had a criminal record and opened fire on security forces in Shahrekord on January 8, the height of the protests, before fleeing. He was arrested two days later. His death sentence was upheld by Irans Supreme Court, Mizan said.

The report provided no details about the timing of his trial, due process, or whether he had access to a lawyer of his choice.

His execution came days after 46 countries condemned Irans continued use of the death penalty in a joint statement to the UN Human Rights Council, citing concerns over unfair trials, torture, and executions used to suppress dissent.

Iran has acknowledged executing more than 30 people detained during the protests. Rights groups say dozens more remain at risk of execution. UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato has called for an immediate halt to executions.

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22:41

2.10.2026

Iranian Men Charged With Plotting Attack On Manchester's Jewish Community

UK police said in a statement released on October 2 that two Iranian men had been charged with plotting a terror attack on Manchester's Jewish community in September.

The statement identified the suspects as Salam Ahmadyan, 36, of Liverpool, and Rahman Salehi, 34, of Salford, adding that they were allegedly in contact with an overseas third party, possibly in Iran, in connection with the plot.

In a separate incident last week, five British men in their 20s were arrested onsuspicion of terrorismand explosives offences near RAF Fairford, an airbase in western England used by the US military to target Iran. They were released on bail as the investigation continued.

British counterterrorism detectives said there was no connection between the latest case and the one involving the Fairford base.

"While this 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," Counter Terrorism Policing Counter Terrorism Policing coordinator Vicki Evans said,

With reporting by ReutersShare

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16:53

2.10.2026

Iraq's Foreign Minister Urges US, Iran Back To Talks

By

Alex Raufoglu

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein

WASHINGTON -- As the conflict between the United States and Iran reverberates across the region, Iraq is facing growing pressure from the war's economic and security fallout, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told RFE/RL in Washington.

Iraq has been hit by attacks, disruptions to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, and the risk of being drawn deeper into a confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Hussein said Baghdad wants the United States and Iran to return to negotiations and is prepared to facilitate talks if both sides approach Iraq.

At the same time, Hussein described the end of the US military mission in Iraq as a new chapter in Iraqi sovereignty and in the relationship between Baghdad and Washington, saying the two countries plan to strengthen ties.

RFE/RL: After two decades, the US military mission in Iraq has ended. What does this historic moment mean for Iraq?

Fuad Hussein:It is a new page in our political situation, because the Americans were there from 2003 in Baghdad. I am talking about Baghdad until 2011. Then they left, and because of the attacks of the terrorists and [Islamic State, also known as ISIS] terrorist groups, once again the Americans came back -- but not only the Americans. Many allies came back to Iraq to fight and destroy the terrorist organization. We worked together. We fought together. We are, in the first place, thankful to the American people, to the American government, and to other allies who were with us when we were in need, and we fought together, we destroyed ISIS.

So this is important in our history. And now they left. That doesn't mean we are going to have a different policy, different relationship. We are going to strengthen our relationship with the United States, but in different other fields, of course: economy, energy, political. But also, we are planning to start discussions with the American side, so that we can have a security agreement on a bilateral level.

Read morehere

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16:11

2.10.2026

46 Countries Condemn Iran's Executions Of Dissidents, Protesters

Forty-six countries submitted a joint statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 30, condemning Iran's escalating use of the death penalty.

The signatories expressed particular concern over the execution of people arrested during the January 2026 protests and called on Iran to immediately halt executions.

The statement, supported by all European Union members except Poland, as well as 20 other countries including Britain, Canada, Ukraine, and Switzerland, was delivered by Liechtenstein's representative, Daniel Batliner.

"No one should be subjected to execution for exercising fundamental rights such as freedom of expression or demanding to be heard," the statement said.

Citing findings and reports by United Nations experts, including the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, the signatories said Iran's use of the death penalty against protesters was aimed at "instilling fear, suppressing dissent, and deterring peaceful expression and assembly."

The countries also expressed concern about the lack of fair trials consistent with international standards, the use of torture and ill-treatment, coerced confessions, and enforced disappearances. They called on Iran to end those practices, particularly executions of protesters.

The statement said at least 31 people had been executed in connection with the protests, with dozens more sentenced to death or at imminent risk of execution.

UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato welcomed the statement, saying: "The need for a moratorium pending abolition has never been greater."

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran also called on Iranian authorities in July to immediately halt executions and move toward a complete moratorium on the death penalty.

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15:06

2.10.2026

News Analysis: Iran's Hormuz Leverage Is Fading, But It Isn't Gone

By

Kian Sharifi

A US army helicopter escorts a ship through the Strait of Hormuz. (file photo)

The flow of crude from the Persian Gulf has recovered to near-prewar levels, but the latest data shows that much of the oil is reaching markets through routes and shipping arrangements that did not exist before the war, raising the question as to whether Iran is losing its leverage in the Strait of Hormuz.

At least 16.5 million barrels per day of crudeleft the regionbetween September 1 and 28, matching the prewar average when Iran is excluded, according to commodity analytics firm Kpler.

But while crude levels have risen, the refinery bottleneck that has caused a global spike in diesel prices persists. European Union figures published on October 1 showed diesel pump prices at record levels. Prices have also surged in the United States despite the recovery in oil exports.

The route, meanwhile, has changed dramatically.

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11:56

2.10.2026

US Targets Russia's A7 Network In New Iran Sanctions Push

WASHINGTON -- US authorities designated the A7 financial network as a "significant transnational criminal organization" in the latest step by Western authorities to try and choke the sprawling Kremlin-backed scheme to evade sanctions.

The move, announced by the US Treasury Department on October 1, comes as A7 -- backed by a fugitive Moldovan oligarch and a major Russian Defense Ministry-linked bank -- continues to grow, by some expert accounts, exponentially.

Treasury said the A7 network of companies, known as subagents, disguised payments involving sanctioned entities as legitimate commercial transactions, helping Russian and Iranian entities move money outside traditional banking channels, including to facilitate Iranian oil sales and weapons procurement.

"Treasury is dismantling the financial infrastructure that allows Iran and other adversaries to evade sanctions, move illicit funds, and undermine the integrity of the global financial system," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

To read the full report, clickhere.

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10:20

2.10.2026

US Reinforces Military Presence In Middle East As Iran Tensions Rise

A US AV-8B Harrier jet launches from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island during flight operations in the Arabian Gulf. (file photo)

The United States is reinforcing its military presence in the Middle East as tensions with Iran remain high and President Donald Trump weighs whether to resume large-scale military operations against Tehran.

The US military has recently deployed additional Patriot air-defense systems to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect key energy facilities from possible Iranian attacks, Axios reported, citing US officials and a regional source. One battery was sent to protect an oil facility in Saudi Arabia and another to protect a natural-gas facility in Qatar.

The United States is also sending additional naval forces to the region, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious ready group. The deployments could bring the number of US carrier strike groups in the region to three, the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal reported.

Iran has meanwhile warned that a renewed US attack could trigger a broader response. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Iran would change the "geography of war," weapons, and targets if hostilities resumed.

Iranian Army spokesman Mohammad Akrami-Nia said the armed forces had used the cease-fire to update their "target bank," optimize equipment, and introduce new equipment.

Reuters reported on October 1, citing three senior Iranian officials and an insider familiar with the discussions, that Iran was preparing a "broader and more forceful response" if the United States resumes large-scale attacks. Iranian commanders were reviewing plans to expand potential targets beyond US-linked assets to countries supporting US military operations and potentially locations outside the Middle East.

Two officials said Iran had also instructed allied groups in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq to prepare for a coordinated response. No final decision had been made, Reuters reported.

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10:16

2.10.2026

Trump Warns Iran Will Be 'Hit Hard' If Linked To Flydubai Incident

A Flydubai Boeing aircraft (file photo)

US President Donald Trump warned on October 1 that Iran would be "hit hard" if Tehran is found to have been involved in an incident aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, as the United Arab Emirates launched an investigation into whether the cockpit attack was linked to terrorism.

Asked at the White House whether he believed Iran was involved in the incident, Trump said: "Based on what I'm hearing, I would say the answer is yes, but we're looking into it right now."

Asked whether the United States would retaliate if Iranian involvement were established, Trump said: "They will be hit hard, don't worry."

Trump did not provide evidence for the claim, and there has been no public evidence linking Iran to the incident. Israeli officials told Reuters that their initial assessment was that the co-pilot likely acted alone.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to determine whether the co-pilot had links to Iran. In an interview with Fox News, however, Netanyahu said information obtained about the co-pilot indicated he had undergone "extremist Islamist indoctrination." He did not provide details supporting the claim.

The incident occurred on September 30 aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers and eight crew members. Saudi Arabia said the co-pilot attacked the captain, injuring both pilots, before the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk.

The UAE attorney-general has ordered a special investigation into the incident, including whether it was connected to "terrorist activity or purpose" or was pre-planned or directed.

The UAE has urged the public and media not to speculate about the cause before the investigation is completed.

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09:55

2.10.2026

Bessent Says Iran Loaded Zero Crude Oil In September

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran did not load any crude oil onto tankers in September, a claim supported by preliminary data from several tanker-tracking companies.

"Iran loaded ZERO crude oil onto tankers in September," Bessent wrote on X on October 1, adding that the Trump administration was cutting off the Iranian government's "most critical source of revenue."

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Preliminary tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg showed no Iranian crude loadings during September. Kpler and Vortexa also recorded zero Iranian crude loadings during the month.

Iran had loaded an estimated 220,000 to 255,000 barrels per day of crude oil and condensate in August, according to Kpler and Vortexa data cited by Reuters.

Iran has continued supplying some Chinese buyers from oil held in floating storage in Asian waters, including near Singapore, but those stocks are expected to decline without new cargoes leaving Iranian ports.

Bessent said the policy was part of Operation Economic Outcast, which he described as an effort to sever the economic lifelines sustaining the Iranian government.

The Treasury Department launched Operation Economic Outcast on August 24, describing it as a government-wide campaign targeting Iran's financial connections and networks involved in oil smuggling, sanctions evasion, and other sources of revenue.