UK Foreign Secretary Meets Zarif in Tehran

The UK Foreign Secretary arrived in Tehran on Saturday morning, December 9, for discussions with the President and other senior Iranian officials. According to Iranian news agencies, Boris Johnson met with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, emphasizing Britain's commitment to the JCPOA during their talks. The main topics of discussion included economic, banking, and trade relations and the importance of expanding them, regional issues, and international matters, especially the commitments of all parties to the JCPOA. Johnson is scheduled to meet with the President, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Speaker of the Parliament, Foreign Minister, and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran during his two-day visit to Tehran. Prior to his trip to Tehran, the UK Foreign Secretary visited Oman, where he met with Sultan Qaboos. Oman is recognized as a mediator between Iran and Western countries and has previously played a role in nuclear negotiations and the release of Western prisoners. Meanwhile, Johnson announced before his trip to Tehran that he would pursue the release of British citizens imprisoned in Iran. This will be Boris Johnson's first visit to Iran, and reports indicate he will negotiate the repayment of a £400 million debt and the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with Iranian officials. Nazanin Zaghari, a Thomson Reuters Foundation employee, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Last month, Johnson's comments regarding Zaghari sparked reactions in Britain, leading him to apologize for his remarks. The UK Foreign Secretary stated that Ms. Zaghari was engaged in teaching journalism in Iran before her arrest, a claim that Zaghari and her employer deny. Another British prisoner in Iran, 77-year-old Kamran Foroughi, has been imprisoned for seven years on charges of 'espionage.' Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran's ambassador to London, described Johnson's visit as 'special,' where 'all dimensions of bilateral relations, including economic, political, regional, and international issues and the JCPOA will be discussed.' According to Mehr News Agency, he mentioned that 'effective implementation of the JCPOA' is one of the main topics of discussion with the UK Foreign Secretary and that the Islamic Republic expects the British government to take the initiative to remove barriers and restrictions on banking communications between the two countries. Baeidinejad also announced that the activities of British companies in Iran's oil fields would be another topic of discussion during this visit, noting that Shell has recently activated its office in Tehran and announced a long-term plan for cooperation with Iran. The Iranian ambassador to London also pointed out that discussions between the two countries regarding regional issues, including conflicts in Syria and Yemen, indicate that Britain has 'somewhat distanced itself from pursuing its policies solely from the perspective of Saudi Arabia' in recent years. He welcomed the UK Prime Minister's request to Saudi Arabia to open the port of Hodeidah for humanitarian aid to Yemen. The UK Prime Minister's office announced that Theresa May, during her meeting with senior Saudi officials on Wednesday, December 29, called for immediate actions to 'prevent a humanitarian disaster' in Yemen. Ms. May promised to request Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to allow the use of the Hodeidah port for sending humanitarian aid to the people of Yemen. The Hodeidah port, controlled by Iran-backed Houthi Shiites, is one of Yemen's besieged ports and is considered the main channel for UN aid to Yemen.