Iran close to releasing two British citizens imprisoned for years

Two British citizens imprisoned in Iran for several years could be on their way to the U.K. soon, possibly within hours, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions between London and Tehran.

Aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, who had been imprisoned in Iran since April 2016, has been given her passport and is at her family home in Tehran, Tulip Siddiq, a member of the British Parliament, said earlier in a tweet. A British government negotiating delegation is in Iran, Siddiq said.

Talks are underway for the releases of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, a retired engineer in his 60s who has been imprisoned since 2017. They could be released within hours, the two sources said.

A Western diplomat said, “It’s moving in the right direction.”