Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s seven-year-old daughter Gabriella was heard asking “is that mummy?” as her mum disembarked the plane that brought her back to the UK and into the arms of her family.
The mum-of-one, who spent nearly six years in an Iran jail, was reunited with her husband and daughter at the Brize Norton military airbase in Oxfordshire shortly after 1am on Thursday morning.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, along with dual national Anoosheh Ashoori who has also been freed, were initially taken to the Gulf state of Oman, which has been closely involved in behind-the-scenes negotiations to secure their releases, before they were flown to the UK.
In a video shared on Instagram by Anoosheh Ashoori’s daughter Elika Ashoori, Gabriella shouted “mummy” as Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe walked down the plane’s stairs.
Later in the video, Richard Ratcliffe shakes Mr Ashoori’s hand, before Mr Ashoori was reunited with his family, who were in tears.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe appears in the video and hugs and kisses her daughter, and was also seen embracing members of the Ashoori family.
Later Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was seen leaving RAF Brize Norton with her family after an emotional reunion behind closed doors.
They were seen talking and hugging through the windows of the airport reception building for at least an hour after Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe landed.
The seven-year-old girl was pictured running excitedly around the room and being carried on her mother’s hip.
The family are being put up in Government-supported accommodation for the night.
A welcome party including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss watched Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori arrive at the airport.
The visibly elated group were looking out of the window of the reception building as the plane carrying the freed British-Iranians landed and the pair disembarked.
Speaking at RAF Brize Norton, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “People are in very, very good spirits.
“I think it’s been a really difficult 48 hours, the expectation that they would be released, but we weren’t sure right until the last moment.
“It’s been very emotional, but also a really happy moment for the families, and I’m pleased to say that both Nazanin and Anoosheh are in good spirits and they’re safe and well back here in Britain.”
Asked whether Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori thanked her following their return, Ms Truss said: “Well, I thank them and I thank the families for how stoical they’ve been during this really, really difficult period.
“And we talked about the process that we’ve been through, the difficult last part of making sure that they were able to leave Iran but it’s so fantastic to welcome them back safe and well here in Britain.”
