Couple held in Iran

[fourstardan]

And the Darwin awards special naivety section winners for 2025 are.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5k6rk3gkno

[768]

They're not dead. Their adventure's just been extended. Plenty of westerners transit through Iran without issue. This is obviously a risk, hopefully they're not held for too long.

[Pistom]

I've always taken the view that it's not a holiday worth going on if there isn't some degree of excitement and risk associated with it. Hope they get back soon.

[JagLover]

768 said:

They're not dead. Their adventure's just been extended. Plenty of westerners transit through Iran without issue. This is obviously a risk, hopefully they're not held for too long.

That may be the case but the foreign office advises against all travel there for a reason. They ignored that advice.

[768]

JagLover said:

That may be the case but the foreign office advises against all travel there for a reason. They ignored that advice.

The foreign office travel advice is all over the shop in the region. Brits have been detained for similar reasons in the UAE and Oman within the last year without the UK government having any sway and without the FCDO advising against travel. It's a risk all over, you either stay at home or make your own judgement.

[911Spanker]

Never understood why people take these risks. Now the government needs to step in.

[bitchstewie]

Iran?

Talk about fk around and find out.

[DeejRC]

No 768. I don’t really care what the FO travel advice is tbh, can’t say I’ve ever looked at it for anywhere I’ve gone, however, it is a bit sodding obvious to avoid Iran at the moment!! In fact I can’t think of a single moment this Century when it wasn’t obvious to avoid Iran!
It’s the same for those with family there, they travel back and get detained. If you want to see them, tell the silly buggers to come to you! There is no need whatsoever to go there.
That obviously goes double if you are a smug pair of twits selfie video blogging your “journey” for “helping” others in life on your YouTube channel. Hopefully Iran will do us all a favour and keep em locked up for that alone. If we could arrange similar for every other influencing, lifestyle YouTubing blogger out there then that would get my vote.

[bitchstewie]

I endorse this ^^ message

[Skyedriver]

Nothing to add to the last comments except hope the FO charge these two numbskulls for every penny it costs to extract them from their self inflicted predicament.

[DeejRC]

Extract?
I’m hoping the FO answer with: Er, sorry, who? Nah, think they are Aussies, bye!

[BigMon]

DeejRC said:

No 768. I don’t really care what the FO travel advice is tbh, can’t say I’ve ever looked at it for anywhere I’ve gone, however, it is a bit sodding obvious to avoid Iran at the moment!! In fact I can’t think of a single moment this Century when it wasn’t obvious to avoid Iran!
It’s the same for those with family there, they travel back and get detained. If you want to see them, tell the silly buggers to come to you! There is no need whatsoever to go there.
That obviously goes double if you are a smug pair of twits selfie video blogging your “journey” for “helping” others in life on your YouTube channel. Hopefully Iran will do us all a favour and keep em locked up for that alone. If we could arrange similar for every other influencing, lifestyle YouTubing blogger out there then that would get my vote.

Exactly.

It's ultimately up to you and your appetite for risk but would I go on holiday to somewhere like Iran, Russia, North Korea or the Gaza strip at the moment.

Erm, no I wouldn't and it's not like we don't live in a interconnected age where you can't easily find out where might or might not be a good idea to go.

[tim0409]

I went to school in Tehran and we obviously left in a bit of a hurry in 1979. My abiding memory was a beautiful country with exceptionally friendly and welcoming people. I have always wanted to go back to visit but in recent years it never felt like a good idea. These people are really stupid.

Here is me and my brother in downtown Tehran after Catholic mass. Not sure much of that goes on there nowadays….

[Wills2]

Totally irresponsible, naïve and fool hardy to think they can virtue signal themselves around countries like this, posting how amazing everyone is until they meet the reality of an Islamist dictatorship.

[voyds9]

768 said:

The foreign office travel advice is all over the shop in the region. Brits have been detained for similar reasons in the UAE and Oman within the last year without the UK government having any sway and without the FCDO advising against travel. It's a risk all over, you either stay at home or make your own judgement.

There are plenty of cases of people making their own decisions then bleating to the home office/press because of the consequences.

[CoolHands]

We should let them stew. And any public campaign by their families, (surely incoming), can sod off

[Disastrous]

Pretty weird how pleased people are that they have come to some misfortune.

I wouldn’t travel to Iran myself but I completely understand why some might feel the risk worthwhile. I’ll take part in dangerous sports others might avoid etc.

Not my cup of tea but as I don’t know them at all, and thus have no desire to see them harmed, I hope their adventure ends well.

[Mr Penguin]

I would love to visit, and I'm sure many people do visit without issue. It's just not worth the risk of being the one who is unlucky.

[Arkose]

stupid to a) go there and b) YouTube it at the same time

although id actually like to go there (geography, cuisine, history etc.. ) , just the regime is a bit dodgy.

[MikeM6]

Disastrous said:

Pretty weird how pleased people are that they have come to some misfortune.

I wouldn’t travel to Iran myself but I completely understand why some might feel the risk worthwhile. I’ll take part in dangerous sports others might avoid etc.

Not my cup of tea but as I don’t know them at all, and thus have no desire to see them harmed, I hope their adventure ends well.

I was thinking exactly this. Why souch joy at their misfortune?