Britain charged two Iranian nationals with terrorism offences on Friday over an alleged plot targeting Manchester's Jewish community, adding to security concerns surrounding suspected Iranian activity in Britain after a separate investigation involving a US-linked air base.

Rahman Salehi, 35, and Salam Ahmadyan, 36, have been charged with preparing to commit or assisting another to commit an act of terrorism in Manchester on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Britain has seen a significant rise in antisemitism since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 that triggered the subsequent war in Gaza, including a series of attacks on Jewish sites in London earlier this year.

"It is no secret that this country faces a range of serious threats from the Iranian regime," Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said in a statement. "They target our Jewish communities and try to silence their critics overseas, often through proxies and criminal networks to hide their involvement." Iran has always denied such accusations.

Counterterrorism police said Salehi and Ahmadyan had allegedly tried to acquire components and equipment to make an improvised explosive device and conducted reconnaissance on potential targets for attack. Police also said the two men had allegedly been in contact with an overseas third party who might be in Iran. The pair, who Mahmood said had arrived in Britain on a small boat from Europe several years ago, will appear at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday.