UK foreign secretary in Iran to push for Briton’s release
London, (MILLAT ONLINE):Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will arrive in Iran early Saturday, where he will press for the release of a British-Iranian woman held in prison, according to Britain’s Foreign Office.
Johnson, who will meet with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, will also discuss the Iranian nuclear deal, the conflict in Yemen and other key regional issues.
In advance of his arrival in Tehran — the first by a British foreign secretary since 2015 — Johnson said he expected “a constructive visit”.
“I will stress my grave concerns about our dual national consular cases and press for their release where there are humanitarian grounds to do so,” he vowed.
Part of a three-day trip to the region, it unfolds amid mass protests across the Muslim world following US President Donald Trump’s announced move of the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Johnson stopped in Oman on Friday, and will move on to the United Arab Emirates Sunday.
“Iran is a significant country in a strategically important, but volatile and unstable, region which matters to the UK’s security and prosperity,” Johnson added.
“While our relationship with Iran has improved significantly since 2011, it is not straightforward and on many issues we will not agree,” he added.