Boris Johnson in talks with Iranian counterpart on jailed Briton

British foreign minister Boris Johnson is in Iran to press for the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 after visiting relatives.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in Tehran. December 9, 2017.
Reuters

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in Tehran. December 9, 2017.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson flew to Tehran on Saturday to seek the release of a jailed British-Iranian aid worker.

The British Foreign Office said Johnson spoke "frankly" with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif about "consular cases of dual nationals" such as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Britain says was visiting family on holiday when she was jailed by Iran for attempting to overthrow the government.

The case has taken on domestic political importance in Britain, especially since Johnson said last month that Zaghari-Ratcliffe trained journalists, which her employer, The Thomson Reuters Foundation, denies. Johnson later apologised. 

Opponents have called for him to resign if his comments lead to her serving longer in prison.

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Johnson is also expected to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday to discuss bilateral and regional issues, a Foreign Office official said, during just the third visit by a British foreign minister to Iran in the last 14 years.

Other issues on the table

The two-day visit takes place against a complex backdrop of historical, regional and bilateral tensions.

Johnson stressed Britain's support for Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in the meeting, the spokeswoman said.

International sanctions against Iran have only recently been lifted as part of the multilateral nuclear deal to curb Tehran's disputed uranium enrichment programme.

Johnson also met Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and parliament speaker Ali Larijani during the first day of his two-day visit, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.

"No stone unturned"

Johnson has vowed to leave "no stone unturned" in Britain's efforts to free Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

She is not the only dual national being held in Iran but has become the most high-profile case.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation said Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been on holiday and had not been teaching journalism in Iran.

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