Oman Welcomes British Nationals Released by Iran

The British national are welcomed in Muscat after their release. (Omani FM on Twitter)
The British national are welcomed in Muscat after their release. (Omani FM on Twitter)
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Oman Welcomes British Nationals Released by Iran

The British national are welcomed in Muscat after their release. (Omani FM on Twitter)
The British national are welcomed in Muscat after their release. (Omani FM on Twitter)

Oman announced that the two British nationals, who were released by Iran on Wednesday, had arrived in the Sultanate.

British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and dual national Anousheh Ashouri left Iran on Wednesday, ending years of detention, after the UK government paid its $530 million debt to Tehran, Iranian state media reported.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashouri were flown in to Muscat on board a Royal Air Force of Oman jet. They will then be flown to their homes.

Oman announced that it had coordinate the release of the detainees at the orders of Sultan Haithan bin Tariq, responding to a plea from the British government.

"Nazanin and Anoosheh have arrived safely in Oman. Sincere thanks for the hard work and good faith in Tehran and London that made this possible," tweeted Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.

"Soon they will be with their loved ones at home. We hope this result will bring further progress in the dialogue between the parties."

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted by an Iranian court of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment.

Ashouri was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2019 for spying for Israel's Mossad and two years for "acquiring illegitimate wealth", according to Iran's judiciary.

The releases came after Tehran and London pressed on with talks about a long-standing 400-million-pound ($520 mln) debt.



Saudi Interior Ministry Highlights Successful Efforts at Countering Narcotics

Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)
Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)
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Saudi Interior Ministry Highlights Successful Efforts at Countering Narcotics

Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)
Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood. (SPA)

Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood, said on Tuesday that the Kingdom implemented a comprehensive security campaign that successfully dealt with drug-related crimes.
He said the campaign entailed coordinated security plans involving all concerned parties.
Dawood, who led the Kingdom's delegation to the 2nd Baghdad International Conference on Countering Narcotics 2024 held in Iraq on Monday, stressed the need to strengthen efforts among the participating nations to control the spread of narcotics and to discuss mechanisms to stop drug trafficking.
He emphasized that countering smuggling and drug trafficking fall in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 top priorities.
Dawood highlighted the Kingdom's commitment to dealing with the dangers posed by drugs to the security and stability of society by harnessing national capabilities to raise the society's awareness to this threat.