Gavin Williamson blocked release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, claims Johnson

The erstwhile premier curate claimed that, successful 2017, helium reached an statement paving the mode for the UK national’s merchandise successful instrumentality for wealth owed by Britain to Tehran since the 1970s.

The Treasury and the Foreign Office approved, but Number 10 insisted the determination needed to beryllium signed disconnected by each applicable departments, including the Ministry of Defence.

Sir Gavin, past defence secretary, refused to authorisation the deal, suggesting immoderate of the £400 cardinal could extremity up successful the hands of Hezbollah and beryllium utilized to bargain weapons and “kill our boys”, Mr Johnson alleged.

In his memoir – Unleashed – Mr Johnson described visiting Iran portion helium served arsenic overseas caput successful Theresa May’s medication to plead Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s lawsuit to Hassan Rouhani.

During talks successful the president’s “mirror-walled palace”, helium suggested the contented of a humanities £400 cardinal indebtedness Britain owed the state for a consignment of tanks that was ne'er delivered “might beryllium resolved”.

In response, the president indicated that “perhaps the consular cases could beryllium resolved”, Mr Johnson said, starring him to judge that “we had an agreement”.

The erstwhile premier curate besides revealed that, earlier the woody had been sanctioned by different applicable departments, helium saw Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s household astatine the embassy and suggested that advancement had been made.

“Without over-promising, I told them that we had begun the process – and I believed that we had,” helium said.

When helium returned, Sir Gavin refused to springiness his backing, saying “I won’t nonstop wealth to Hezbollah truthful they tin bargain weapons to termination our boys”, Mr Johnson claimed.

“I’m not definite which theatre of struggle helium was talking astir … It was nary use. I person ever been affable with Gavin, who is simply a keen pupil of authorities and power, and I could spot what was truly going on,” helium wrote.

“While Nazanin languished successful Iranian captivity, with galore blaming me, determination were rather a fewer radical who were savouring my motivation torment – not least, I suspect, successful Number 10.”

Sir Gavin has been contacted for comment.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was freed successful March 2022, during Mr Johnson’s premiership, aft the UK agreed to settee its indebtedness with Tehran.

Mr Johnson has been accused of lengthening her ordeal himself when, arsenic overseas secretary, helium wrongly claimed she had been grooming journalists astatine the clip of her apprehension successful 2016.

The British-Iranian dual nationalist challenged the then-prime curate implicit the “massive impact” of his comments erstwhile they came look to look successful a Downing Street gathering aft she was brought home.

Elsewhere successful the book, Mr Johnson retracted his apology for the alleged partygate ungraded that contributed to his governmental downfall.

He wrote that helium made a “mistake” successful offering “pathetic” and “grovelling” statements implicit the lockdown-era gatherings successful Downing Street that sparked a nationalist outcry and dealt a large stroke to his premiership.

Challenged connected his alteration of code successful an ITV News interrogation connected Friday, Mr Johnson said:  “What I was trying to accidental determination was, I deliberation that the broad apology – the benignant of apology I issued close astatine the opening – I deliberation the occupation with it was that afterwards, each the accusations that past rained down connected officials who’d been moving precise hard successful Number 10 and elsewhere were thought to beryllium true.”

He added: “You can’t accidental that I haven’t been exposed implicit the past fewer years to the afloat unit of people’s choler and indignation.”