Iran and the United Kingdom have made rare direct contact after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his British counterpart, Yvette Cooper, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
According to the Iranian statement, the call took place on Friday and focused on the need to continue dialogue at different levels to improve mutual understanding and address issues of shared interest. Such direct exchanges between Tehran and London are uncommon and come amid heightened regional and diplomatic tensions.
A UK government source said Cooper stressed the importance of finding a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear programme. She also raised several other concerns, including the case of British nationals Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who have been detained in Iran for nearly a year.
The Iranian foreign ministry statement did not mention the detained couple. However, it said Araghchi criticised what he called the “irresponsible approach” of Britain, France, and Germany on Iran’s nuclear issue. The three European countries moved in late September to trigger the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear activities.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both in their early fifties, were detained in January while travelling through Kerman in central Iran during a round-the-world motorbike journey. Iranian authorities accuse them of posing as tourists to gather intelligence, an allegation their family strongly denies.
The phone call marked the first direct exchange between the two ministers since October.
Separately, Iran announced the execution of a man accused of spying for Israel. Iran’s judiciary news agency Mizan reported on Saturday that Aghil Keshavarz was put to death after his sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.
According to the report, Keshavarz was convicted of spying for Israel, cooperating with its intelligence services, and photographing sensitive military and security sites. Iranian authorities said he was arrested earlier this year in Urmia, in northwestern Iran, and was identified as an agent of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
The judiciary said the court relied on the man’s confession, claiming he carried out tasks such as photographing key locations, placing tracking devices, conducting opinion polling, and monitoring traffic routes on Mossad’s instructions.
The execution follows a sharp rise in espionage cases after a major escalation between Iran and Israel in June. On June 13, Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, triggering a 12-day conflict that included missile and drone attacks by Iran and US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
That conflict halted ongoing diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States aimed at reviving talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on June 24.
Since then, Iranian authorities have promised swift trials for those accused of collaborating with Israel. Officials say at least 10 people have been executed on espionage charges linked to Israel since the war.
Iran does not recognise Israel and has long accused it of sabotage against its nuclear programme and assassinations of Iranian scientists. In October, Tehran also tightened its espionage laws, making spying for Israel or the United States punishable by asset confiscation and the death penalty.
