Nov. 28 – Several children of high ranking Iranian officials have criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy and have called for a change to the way the state engages with long-time foes America and Israel.
Faezeh Hashemi, a former lawmaker and the daughter of former Iranian president Akbar Rafsanjani has called for the reinstatement of diplomatic ties with the U.S., according to an interview with the Financial Times.
Hamzeh Safavi, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Tehran and the son of General Yahya Safavi, the senior military advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the Financial Times that Iran should accept a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, which would require Iran to recognise Israel as a state, which it currently does not.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a prisoner exchange had been negotiated between Iran and France, during a trip to Paris this week.
Iran has detained the two French nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris since 2022 on espionage charges, while France has held the Iranian Mahdieh Esfandiari since February on charges of promoting “terrorism” on social media.
France has not confirmed whether such a deal between the two states exists.
And Richard Ratcliffe has urged the British government to do more to secure the releases of British nationals Craig and Lindsay Foreman, in an interview with the BBC.
The Foremans were detained in January and charged with spying for Europe, Israel and the UK, which they have denied.
Richard Ratcliffe’s wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was imprisoned in Iran for almost six years following charges of trying to topple the Iranian government and was freed following a campaign to bring her home by her husband.
