Iran’s ambassador to London has dismissed Britain’s travel warning for dual UK-Iranian nationals, saying all citizens are safe during their visit provided that they are not working for foreign intelligence agencies.
In a post on his Twitter account on Friday, Hamid Baeidinejad said that people holding dual British and Iranian nationality “are all welcomed to visit their country and families.”
Every day thousands of Iranian dual nationals and Iranian nationals working in the UK are travelling safely to Iran. Iranian dual nationals and Iranians working in the UK are all respected Iranian citizens and are all welcomed to visit their country and families.
The remarks came hours after the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned dual nationals against all travel to Iran, claiming that they face an “unacceptably higher risk of detention and mistreatment.” The Foreign Office’s previous advice had warned against all but essential travel to Iran.
“Travel advice has been changed in response to the Iranian government’s continued arbitrary detention and mistreatment of dual nationals, and Iranian citizens with links to institutions based in the UK,” it said in a statement.
Additionally, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged the Iranians living in the UK to exercise “caution” when returning to Iran to visit their family or friends.
