European governments have repeatedly given in to the Islamic Republic’s hostage diplomacy. From the cases of Hamid Nouri in Sweden & Assadollah Assadi in Belgium to the recent exchange of Italian journalist #CeciliaSala for Mohammad Abedini, Tehran has successfully used detained foreign nationals as bargaining chips. Now, a British couple, Craig & Lindsay Foreman, has been arrested in Iran by IRGC security forces, likely for another prisoner swap with the UK.
Iranian activists have long warned that Iran, under the Islamic Republic, is not a safe destination for tourism. However, some European travelers continue to visit, unaware that their presence may unintentionally strengthen Tehran’s strategy of using foreign nationals to secure the release of its agents abroad.
Ultimately, the real victims of these deals are the Iranian people, who—without state support—struggle to hold human rights violators accountable.
Soranmansournia
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