How much in time and money will this cost the UK?

[Ihatetomatoes]

https://news.sky.com/story/british-couple-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-in-iran-family-say-13503275

https://news.sky.com/story/british-couple-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-in-iran-family-say-13503275

Sorry, I didn't think the link worked. It did.

The couple ignored advice at the time to UK citizens not to travel to Iran.

The sentence is awful (but in Iran sentences tend to be). I wouldn't wish 10 years on anyone but I think they were arrogant and stupid.

Sadly, the UK taxpayers will ultimately pay in huge amounts of time spent attempting to free them and who knows how much money! Foolish.

What were they thinking travelling through Iran?
Yes, it’s going to be years of work going on behind scenes to try and get them out but I don’t see the government putting massive resources into this. It’ll be some civil servant time of course, which costs money. But I don’t see them doing any drastic or making any concessions.

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-18/british-couple-detained-in-iran-sentenced-to-ten-years-family-say

I don't believe for one minute they are spies, but they were incredibly foolish to travel to Iran. And yes, I'm sure this will cost the UK more money.

I hope your DCs never catch the travelling bug.

The couple are calling themselves 'hostages'. They are serving time for a crime committed in Iran according to Iranian laws. They weren't taken hostage in the usual sense since the willingly entered Iran on a jolly. Quite foolish.

🤣 seriously, there are a whole lot of countries to travel to without reaching this level of stupidity. Millions of people successfully travel all the time, following guidelines for certain countries....

The government are quite clear that they cannot help you if you get into trouble in Iran. They’ll have family liaison people working, and will try to facilitate communication and there are always conversetions going on. But it’s civil servant time being used and it won’t be the only thing they work on. The UK won’t be putting obscene amounts of money into this.

They made a choice to go there against all travel advice.

If they’re brought home, they should be fined. Stupid idiots!

In Iran? I hope so too! They’d be complete fools to go, and I’d be hiding my kid’s passports. Idiots.

Yes seems silly given advice is crystal clear. Even those with relatives there don't travel due to safety concerns.

Indeed. Most young travellers probably wouldn't pop Iran down as a chosen country to motorbike through whilst sharing pictures and thoughts on social media 🤔

I feel sorry for their son who is doing what he can to keep their story in the headlines. He seems more sensible than his parents. I hope they get out before 10 years. What a waste.

My 9 yo half-Persian DS can easily explain to the hard of thinking with “the traveling bug” why a trip to Iran is a fucking monumentally stupid idea, if it helps?

They should have left their children alone in an unlocked hotel room whilst they went for a meal and to get pissed with their friends then half the Metropolitan Police would be on their way to Iran....

Maybe any income from selling story could be used to help out others.

You mean the Madeline McCann case involving a child that went missing. Not silly adults motorbike through Iran. Different really. The child needed finding. Although, sadly they never did find her.

The travelling bug is a more serious affliction than I'd realised if it leads one to make such stupid decisions. 🙄There's always an excuse for anything, if you look hard enough, I suppose.

The absolute definition of play stupid games, win stupid prizes 🙄

Son wants action. Not sure what actually can be done though.

"He (son) called on the UK Government to "act decisively and use every available avenue to secure their release".

The Foreign Office is currently warning people not to travel to Iran, because of "the significant risk of arrest questioning or detention". It warns that: "The UK government will not be able to help you if you get into difficulty in Iran."

Iran has arrested dozens of foreign visitors and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related charges."

The child needed not to be left in an unlocked room without her parents - then she wouldn't have needed finding...

Yes I agree, however, this thread is about a pair of adults sentenced to 10 years in Iran. Anything to say about the topic? You could of course start a thread about your preferred topic.....

They were arrested in Jan 2025. Almost three years earlier Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released from an Iranian jail after a high profile six year battle which included her British husband going on hunger strike in front of the Iranian Embassy. Did the Foreman’s never watch the news and not check the FO travel advice? Utterly stupid of them to plan a route which went through Iran.

Just the case of poor Nazanin and the recent drama on TV .shows why its unwise to travel there .I feel sorry for their Son but I think they were arrogant .It seemed to me that they were being cocky .Riding into Iran against Government advice and showing off .I hope they are released before 10 years ,but the Iranain govt probably want to make an example of them ,to deter others from doing the same thing ,No real sympathy here Im afraid .