The Swedish hostage in Iran was Johan Floderus, a Swedish EU diplomat who was arbitrarily detained in April 2022 and held for over two years, facing false charges of espionage, before being released in a prisoner exchange in June 2024 and returning to Sweden. He was freed alongside another Swedish citizen, Saeed Azizi, in a deal involving the release of an Iranian national imprisoned in Sweden.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe became a British citizen in 2013. Zaghari-Ratcliffe used to return to Iran from time to time enabling her parents to see her daughter. When travelling to Iran she would always do so on her Iranian passport, as required by Iranian law.
Johan Floderus (born 10 September 1990) is a Swedish diplomat and European Union official.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested by Iranian authorities in January while on a motorbike trip from Europe to Australia.
The 1979 Revolution, the outbreak of the war between Iran and Iraq as well as the violent oppression of political dissidents caused a huge migration to Western countries, including Sweden. The Iranian migration to Sweden, mainly in the form of asylum migration, peaked during the second half of the 1980s.
The Embassy emphasizes that Iran and Sweden enjoy a long-standing history of friendly relations spanning more than 400 years, and that Iran remains firmly committed to improving and enhancing the level of bilateral relations.
Yes, $100 is a significant amount of money in Iran, especially for daily expenses, as it converts to millions of Iranian Rials (IRR), allowing for substantial purchases like multiple restaurant meals, accommodation, or local tours, though it's a small sum compared to average annual salaries. Due to rapid currency devaluation and sanctions, foreigners need to carry large amounts of cash (often in large USD/EUR bills) because credit cards don't work, and you get a huge stack of banknotes for $100.
After enduring six years of unjust detention, Nazanin finally returned home to the UK in March 2022. Her reunion with husband Richard and daughter Gabriella marked the end of a nightmare that had separated their family since 2016.
The actual treatment of the hostages was far different. They described beatings, theft, and fear of bodily harm. Two of them, William Belk and Kathryn Koob, recalled being paraded blindfolded before an angry, chanting crowd outside the embassy.
Following Russia's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Kallas demanded that the European Union impose sanctions on Russia. Kallas was praised domestically for her leadership during the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Subsequently, her approval rating soared, making her Estonia's most popular politician.
Ylva Julia Margareta Johansson (born 13 February 1964) is a Swedish politician who served as European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Sweden's European Commissioner in the von der Leyen Commission from 1 December 2019 to 30 November 2024.
Coined by Professor Anu Bradford in her book The Brussels Effect (2020),[1] the term explains how EU rules—once made for the European market—often turn into global standards. [2] The idea is straightforward: companies that want to sell to the EU's 450 million consumers must follow its strict rules.
Yes, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe are still married. Speaking to The Independent about what their life is like now, 50-year-old Ratcliffe said: "Nazanin coming home was about getting back to our normal life." "I was desperate to get back to normal – playing with Gabriella in the park on the swings.
She wrote an Instagram post explaining she was defecting because of constraint of women in Iran, calling herself "one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran who [Iran's rulers] have been playing with for years." "They took me wherever they wanted. I wore whatever they said.
Many of the formerly 80,000-strong Iranian Jewish community had left Iran by 1978. Subsequently, more than 80% of the remaining Iranian Jews fled or emigrated from the country between 1979 and 2006. As of early 2013, a small Jewish community of an estimated 10,000 still resided in Iran as a protected minority.
Lieutenant-Colonel 'Paddy' Mayne is a legendary figure in the history of the Special Forces. A celebrated sportsman with a turbulent character, he played a vital role in the early successes of the Special Air Service (SAS), becoming one of its most important commanders.
TIL about Operation Nimrod, where the British SAS conducted a daring raid on the Iranian Embassy in London to rescue hostages. Six armed revolutionaries stormed the embassy and took 26 people hostage, resulting in a 6 day siege. 19 hostages were rescued and the raid was broadcasted live.
On the day of Reagan's inauguration, January 20, 1981, the United States freed almost $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and the 52 hostages were released after 444 days. The next day, Jimmy Carter flew to West Germany to greet the Americans on their way home.
Shakdam traveled frequently to Iran and became a regular author in many Iranian news agencies such as Mashregh News, Tasnim News, Mehr News and even Iranian supreme leader's website "Khamenei.ir". In November 2021 Shakdam wrote in her blog in The Times of Israel that she is divorced and no longer a Muslim.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman are a UK couple who were detained in Iran in January 2025 on charges of espionage. As of the end of December 2025, they were still in prison. Map of the world showing the location of Iran (green) and the United Kingdom (orange).
Nazanin was released alongside Anoosheh Ashoori on 16 March 2022. “I was put on a plane, but it was bittersweet; when is the next time I will go back to my homeland? “I can't explain how it was to come back to my family. I call London home, but I was born in Iran and that is also my home.”
Lebanese pounds
The Lebanese pound (LBP) is the world's weakest currency, and has been at or near the top of this list for a few years. This is mainly because of high inflation and a depressed economy, as well as political instability. The country has also been suffering from a banking crisis since 2019.