British couple accused of entering Iran under 'guise of tourists' charged with espionage

Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir stated that Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 52 years old, had been under surveillance and were accused of “gathering information in multiple provinces of the country.”

The Foremans, who moved from East Sussex to Andalucia, Spain, in 2019, had been on a motorbike trip around the world and planned to spend five days in Iran as part of their journey. They had crossed into Iran from Armenia on December 30 and intended to enter Pakistan by January 4 before continuing their route towards Australia.

The couple was arrested in January, but details of their detention only surfaced last week. Announcing the charges, Mr Jahangir said: “These individuals were co-operating with front organisations linked to the intelligence services of hostile and Western countries under the pretence of research and investigative activities.”

He also claimed the couple had been under surveillance by provincial intelligence agencies before being “subsequently arrested as part of a coordinated intelligence operation.”

Before their detention, the Foremans had shared their excitement about being in Iran on social media. Lindsay Foreman, a life coach with a doctorate in psychology, wrote that she was “having an amazing time.”

Her husband Craig Foreman, a carpenter, praised Iran’s hospitality, describing it as a “lovely country” with “lovely people.”

The UK Foreign Office has long advised against all travel to Iran, warning that British nationals - especially those with dual UK-Iranian citizenship - are at “significant risk of arrest, questioning, or detention.”

The government also warns that merely holding a British passport or having UK connections could be “reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”