Britain is preparing plans to transfer over £400 million to Iran to secure "goodwill" as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson vowed to do "everything" he can to release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, according to London's Daily Telegraph.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a British-Iranian dual citizen who has been detained since April 2016 on allegations of plotting to topple the Tehran government. Officials have sought legal advice regarding US and United Nations sanctions which have so far prevented them from handing over the money, the result of a controversial 1970s arms deal, amid claims the British mother is being held as "collateral". Senior Whitehall sources have told The Telegraph that while the Government is at pains to ensure the payment is not directly linked with Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release, work has intensified in recent months in a bid to improve relations with Iran.