Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has UK passport returned, MP says.

[Beati Dogu]

Ian Geary said:

Another success for Russia

They've made Iran palatable again

Go team Putin!

Yep, he's also given the media sometime else to fearmonger over instead of Covid and simultaneously ended Carrie Johnson's ridiculous "net zero" insanity.

[Countdown]

JagLover said:

It was owed but it was claimed unable to be paid due to sanctions that had been imposed upon Iran.

[bitchstewie]

deadslow said:

they've paid it to get oil; the hostage was left rotting in Iran for 6 years until current events lit a fire under Johnson's self-serving arse.

That's how it seems.

It's fantastic news that she's out of course and if you're Nazanin or her family you won't care how it came about but I'd be pretty confident that the timing of this means oil is the motivator.

Or it's just a massive coincidence.

[poo at Paul's]

I think we were techincally not allowed to pay the 400 mil due to sanctions? Not sure we actually have done as yet...

[JagLover]

Beati Dogu said:

Yep, he's also given the media sometime else to fearmonger over instead of Covid and simultaneously ended Carrie Johnson's ridiculous "net zero" insanity.

Believe that latter point when I see it. No concrete steps taken yet as far as I can see to improve energy security and increased reliance on Iran (if that is what happens) doesn't achieve that.

[PositronicRay]

poo at Paul's said:

I think we were techincally not allowed to pay the 400 mil due to sanctions? Not sure we actually have done as yet...

Yesterday apparently.

[vaud]

poo at Paul's said:

I think we were techincally not allowed to pay the 400 mil due to sanctions? Not sure we actually have done as yet...

Yes and ringfenced to humanitarian support which seems like a reasonable compromise.

[Panamax]

So presumably Iran is still exactly the same but now considered "less bad" than Russia.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

[DeejRC]

Welcome to International Relations. It’s how the world works, it’s how the world has always worked.

[anonymous-user]

Can't say I've followed the story much until today but why all the celebration for the lady on here and no mention of Anoosheh Ashoori? I'd never even heard of him before today but it seems like he's also been held since 2017. Judging by all the usual names on here has she become something of a cause celebre with the left as an embarrassment to Johnson and he's just some guy or what?

[Vanden Saab]

fblm said:

Can't say I've followed the story much until today but why all the celebration for the lady on here and no mention of Anoosheh Ashoori? I'd never even heard of him before today but it seems like he's also been held since 2017. Judging by all the usual names on here has she become something of a cause celebre with the left as an embarrassment to Johnson and he's just some guy or what?

[rambo19]

Me thinks that we will be doing a deal with Iran for some oil..........................

One thing for sure, Brits should stay out of Iran.

[biggbn]

JagLover said:

TTmonkey said:

So we paid them their 400 million back to ensure this happens.

Did it have to take so long?

Paying 400 million to secure her release sounds very much like paying a ransom to release hostages to me. Which might have some bearing on why it "took so long".

Hopefully Iran wont be looking to arrest further dual nationals in the future to give it leverage.

No, because we actually owned them the money as far as I know

[Pitre]

Oil + gas + $400M = simple

[Esceptico]

S600BSB said:

I hope Nazanin's husband gets some sort of recognition - an honour or something - for the amazing job he has done keeping global attention on his wife's incarceration over all these years.

I hope they get some peace and quiet to try to rebuild their relationship. I expect it will be hard on them both after such an enforced separation and she is likely to suffer mental health issues.

Disgraceful that she was left to rot there for so long.

[andyA700]

JagLover said:

deadslow said:

the 400m was owed. This has been established in the highest courts. They should have paid it years ago and had her out.

Suddenly we need oil/gas and she's free in a fortnight.

Glad she's home, but no thanks to Boris et al.

It was owed but it was claimed unable to be paid due to sanctions that had been imposed upon Iran. Now the UK seems to have paid it to release what amounts to two hostages.

So, you think that Western countries should steal millions from other countries and not give the money back, when said Western country renages on a deal?

[vaud]

biggbn said:

No, because we actually owned them the money as far as I know

We did.

[rjfp1962]

I was reminded of a cancer scare she had, so just checking and found out she was cleared of breast cancer back in 2017 - Had the diagnosis been different I wonder what the outcome would have been, and in getting the right medical treatment whilst serving her sentence...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-42104184

[TJSFWG]

Vanden Saab said:

You, like your leader couldn’t have cared less about either of them.

[Murph7355]

rambo19 said:

......

One thing for sure, Brits should stay out of Iran.

Dual nationals (more than) doubly so.