Two British nationals have been arrested in Iran on “security charges” in a move that appears to continue the country’s practice of detaining foreign nationals as potential diplomatic leverage.

IRNA news agency reported that a man and woman were being held in southern Kerman province, though their identities and specific charges remain undisclosed.

Hugo Shorter, the British ambassador to Iran, met with the detainees at the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office in Kerman, according to IRNA, which released photos of the meeting with the detained individuals’ faces blurred.

The meeting was attended by the local prosecutor Mehdi Bakhshi and Rahman Jalali, the province’s deputy governor for security and law enforcement affairs.

A Foreign Office spokesman said “We are providing consular assistance to two British Nationals detained in Iran and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Pattern of holding foreign nationals

Iran state media said further information would be released later.

The detention follows a pattern of Iran holding foreign nationals, particularly those from Western countries, often leading to prisoner exchanges.

In January, Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was released by Iranian authorities, followed four days later by Iran securing the release of Mohammad Abedini from Italy.

Mr Abedini was arrested in Milan in December on a warrant issued by the US and charged in connection with a drone strike that killed three US soldiers and injured dozens more in Jordan in 2024.

Two years ago, the Islamic Republic executed Alireza Akbari, a dual Iranian-British citizen, which sparked outrage from Western governments.

The UK condemned his execution as a “callous and cowardly act carried out by a barbaric regime”.

Mr Akbari was a former deputy defence minister of Iran and Iranian authorities accused him of “espionage” for British intelligence services.

Iran currently holds several European nationals in detention.

Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of taking dual and foreign nationals hostage for the sole purpose of using them in prisoner swaps or as a bargaining chip in international negotiations.

Many European countries have urged their nationals not to travel to Iran, warning that they face the risk of arbitrary arrest or unfair trial.