Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson plans to visit Iran following a serious blunder in which he misspoke about the circumstances of a British-Iranian aid worker imprisoned there - a mistake that could see her five-year sentence doubled.
Johnson called Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, today to say that he intends to visit Iran before the end of the year and hopes to see jailed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Sky News reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Johnson told the Foreign Affairs Select Committee last week that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was “training journalists” during her trip. His comments were denied by her family and her employer, according to the BBC.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 37, was told over the weekend that she would be tried for “spreading propaganda against the regime” and that her sentence could be doubled if she is found guilty, her husband says.
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox dismissed Johnson’s comment as a “slip of the tongue”. However, fellow Conservative MP Anna Soubry called the Foreign Secretary’s mistake “appalling”, tweeting that “in ‘normal’ times Boris Johnson would have been sacked long ago”.
Labour called his conduct “unacceptable”, and urged Theresa May to fire him.
-
How medical imposters are ruining health studiesUnder the Radar Automated bots and ‘lying’ individuals ‘threaten’ patient safety and integrity of research
-
‘How can I know these words originated in their heart and not some data center in northern Virginia?’instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Can Trump deliver a farmer bailout in time?Today's Big Question Planting decisions and food prices hang in the balance
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
'Axis of upheaval': will China summit cement new world order?Today's Big Question Xi calls on anti-US alliance to cooperate in new China-led global system – but fault lines remain
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official saysSpeed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
