Iran has accused British nationals Craig and Lindsay Foreman of espionage, accusing them of gathering intelligence at the same time in the country and having ties to the hostile foreign intelligence services of the Islamic Republic.
"They entered Iran under the guise of tourism and research projects, but collected information in several provinces," judicial spokesman Asghar Jahangir told local reporters on Tuesday. "These people are related to the West and hostile countries." Cooperation between intelligence services related fronts.”
The couple had traveled on motorcycles and were arrested last month in the southeastern province of Kerrman. The judiciary confirmed on Tuesday that Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards' army was responsible for arresting them.
Since then, they have laughed, laughed, danced and enjoyed their time in Iran.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Saturday, the family members hoped that they would return to their homes “safely”.
"This unexpected event has attracted great attention from our entire family and we are very focused on ensuring their safety and well-being during this difficult time," it said. "We are actively interacting with the UK government and relevant authorities, working hard to Respond to the complexity of this matter.”
The workers’ case is the latest series of spy-related allegations of arresting Western and dual nationals. European governments often view these detentions as a key source of tensions with Tehran, as well as other disputes, including Iran's nuclear program and regional policies.
The arrests are also a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are intensifying. Under its "maximum pressure" policy, Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions on Iran and vowed to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Washington also demanded an end to Tehran's military activities in the Middle East and restrictions on its ballistic missile program.
However, Iran insists that this will resist our pressure and rule out negotiations with the Trump administration.
Although Iranian leaders have been maintaining diplomatic channels with European powers, including Britain, France and Germany, they have been signing European powers for the 2015 nuclear agreement, but they feel warned of European sanctions on Iran's nuclear activities. Frustrated.
It is unclear whether Tehran will arrest the British couple as a potential leverage in future negotiations where the role of Britain in influencing U.S. policy may be important.
The case is compared with the high-profile detention of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British Iranian state, who was detained in Iran for six years on charges in 2022 Release was announced to overthrow the Islamic Republic. £400 million in Iranian funds have not been frozen after decades of dispute.