12 heartwarming photos showing Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori’s journey home

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were reunited with their families in the early hours of Thursday morning in the UK, after years of detention in Iran.

The British-Iranian nationals arrived at RAF Brize Norton where they were greeted by their loved ones.

Nazanin’s seven-year-old daughter Gabriella ran to hug her mother after over two years apart.

Anoosheh’s daughter Elika shared a video of the pair’s arrival, where both families were overcome with emotion.

Nazanin, 44, of West Hampstead, and Anoosheh, 67, of Lewisham, finally left Tehran on Wednesday after their release was secured following months of negotiations.

Speaking to LondonWorld on his way to RAF Brize Norton to pick up his wife, Richard Ratcliffe said he felt delighted as he didn’t see this coming.

“I’m looking forward to just doing the normal stuff so it’s almost like picking up the life that we left behind,” he said.

“So pottering around the neighbourhood, going to coffee shops, going to the park, the life we had before.

“I think for Nazanin just being around and collecting Gabriella from school.

“We can’t recapture what’s lost but we can make the most of what’s still ahead.

“The bad stuff never defines us so today is a happy day and let’s hope that it lasts a long time.”