UK Warns Iran Against Using Dual Nationals' Detention as Diplomatic Leverage

On Monday, November 19, Jeremy Hunt, the UK Foreign Secretary, stated that if Iran's policy is to use the detention of dual nationals as a diplomatic pressure tool, such an approach will have consequences for Iran. According to The Guardian, Hunt, who traveled to Tehran, met privately with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen imprisoned in Iran, and her brother after meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The report notes that Hunt's request to meet with Zaghari in prison was denied. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at the airport on April 3, 2016, while attempting to leave Iran. She was accused of collaborating with institutions opposed to the Islamic Republic and participating in 'soft overthrow' activities, and was sentenced to five years in prison. In an interview with The Guardian in Tehran, Hunt described Zaghari as an incredibly brave woman who has spent half of her daughter's life in prison. He stated that she is suffering greatly and that if Iran wants to be a recognized country in the world, it cannot imprison individuals like Nazanin. This is wrong. Hunt criticized the continued imprisonment of Zaghari for over two and a half years and called for her release and return to her daughter and family. He emphasized that if Iran's policy is to use the detention of dual nationals as a diplomatic pressure tool, it will have repercussions. We will not allow such behavior to go unpunished and without cost. They must understand that this situation is not sustainable. However, Hunt acknowledged that his counterpart, Zarif, and other officials in Hassan Rouhani's government have no influence over Zaghari's case, and his efforts to meet with judicial authorities have been fruitless. He stated that those he spoke with report to the Iranian leader, but the judiciary and the military (IRGC) report separately to the leader. Thus, Zaghari's case is beyond the control of those he spoke with. Hunt also met with Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who told him that the nuclear negotiations and the JCPOA were hosted and facilitated by the European Union, and violating it means undermining the dignity, credibility, and political standing of the EU by the US. The UK has been involved in nuclear talks since the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, both as one of the three European countries and as a member of the 1+5 group. Hunt is the first senior European official to visit Tehran since the re-imposition of US oil sanctions against Iran.