How many foreign secretaries does it take….?

It only took one Foreign Secretary to make her plight so much worse

IMO many Brits don't like discussing politics for some reason and don't take much notice of what's happening. Occasionally something comes along to waken them, such as Brexit and now Ukraine. I think that the main difference between the two topics is the attitude of the media since in the case of Ukraine virtually all the media is opposed to the war and in favour of supporting the country and its people.

It only takes one foreign Secretary when we need Iran’s oil.

Good for her for saying what she thinks. It’s great to see that her years of imprisonment haven’t knocked the stuffing out of her, and that she’s angry enough and brave enough to be honest.

Casdon

Good for her for saying what she thinks. It’s great to see that her years of imprisonment haven’t knocked the stuffing out of her, and that she’s angry enough and brave enough to be honest.

I was listening this lunchtime. She was quite clear about her feelings concerning the inactivity over her release since 2016. She has every right to be angry and I’m glad she spoke out.

I’d like to know why governments since the 1970s have not paid the debt to Iran, that’s over 40 years? I presume it is everything to donwith the Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah.

Of course it is to do with the Islamic revolution.Rather like having to pay money to Putin after he has dismembered Ukraine.

Why should we or anyone else be paying money to Putin?

That’s not what easybee meant varian.

Does the UK owe a similar debt for goods to Russia as it did to Iran easybee, I wasn’t aware of that?

Ah, no blame on the Iranian Government then….or the advice not to travel to Iran…….

IMO many Brits don't like discussing politics for some reason and don't take much notice of what's happening

I'm not sure where you get that idea from Dinahmo
Is that what they think in your part of France? It's certainly not the case in my part of England!

ayse

Casdon

Good for her for saying what she thinks. It’s great to see that her years of imprisonment haven’t knocked the stuffing out of her, and that she’s angry enough and brave enough to be honest.

I was listening this lunchtime. She was quite clear about her feelings concerning the inactivity over her release since 2016. She has every right to be angry and I’m glad she spoke out.

I’d like to know why governments since the 1970s have not paid the debt to Iran, that’s over 40 years? I presume it is everything to donwith the Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah.

I was listening to a radio news programme after the news broke that her passport had been returned to her. Apparently the debt was for military equipment Iran ordered from the UK. The country was ruled by the Shah at the time of the order but before it was filled, he was overthrown and the thinking at the time was that it was morally wrong for us to arm the Ayatollah, so the order was never filled. I don’t really understand the ins and outs of it, but apparently there was no suitable ‘mechanism’ for repaying the debt and it was kicked into the long grass, so to speak.

I’m sure that if a government wanted to they could always find a suitable way to pay. It seems it was like applying sanctions through the back door then leaving ordinary people to take the consequences. Not that I have any agreement with any dictatorship Islamic or otherwise.

Pammie1 I heard the same report. At the time there would have been an outcry about us funding arms for the Ayatollah.
Now there are reports of people? being told about the money and nothing being done but I don’t remember hearing about it on the news back then or in the intervening years.
I’m just relieved she and the other prisoner are back in England.

This is a woman that has been deprived of years and years of being part of her daughters life. I can’t even begin to understand the anger she is feeling now.

This woman came to the attention of the Iranian authorities for whatever reason. That wasn’t the British government’s fault. She is very lucky she is out.

As anyone who knows anything about Iran will tell you, if you get in trouble over there, there isn’t much our Government can do for you. She must have been aware of the political situation.

If it weren’t for the British government she wouldn’t be here now. HM Governor was put in a very difficult position and it has upset the USA by seemingly ‘paying to get her out’. Even though the money was held in an escrow account for decades, optics count on the world stage.

A bit of gratitude is owed in my opinion and if she can’t offer that, then I suggest she would be better off saying nothing at all for the foreseeable.

* HM Government

‘Ah, no blame on the Iranian Government then….or the advice not to travel to Iran…….’ Poppyred who said that? Did you listen to what Nazanin said today?

Disgusting comment from UG

Urms I am so pleased I am not the only one to wonder where the gratitude was.
She wasn’t a bit what I was expecting. Yes obviously she has been through an ordeal but to go on the attack of the government which was instrumental in securing her freedom didn’t sit well with me.

Remember people , she was specifically warned by the Foreign Office in 2014 not to go back to Iran and yet she did.

Why does no journalist mention this fact and ask her if she takes any repsonsibilty for her actions?

Urmston - mr Johnson didn’t help by announcing she was training journalists

Plus if this country had paid the debt we owed, £400m , she’d have been back 6 years ago. She was a hostages

I wonder if you’d be so critical of the Beirut hostages

I can’t believe those of you who are pursing your lips at her perceived ingratitude. I’d be bloody ungrateful too if I’d been needlessly separated from my husband and child for 6 years. Remember a certain Foreign Secretary who made things a whole lot worse by saying she was “teaching journalism” not to mention his flat denial of any debt to Iran?