Boris Johnson’s false claim about why Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran made “no change” to her case, the Iranian ambassador has said.
The former foreign secretary apologised for saying that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran "teaching people journalism,” despite her family's insistence that she was visiting relatives.
Mr Johnson’s remarks were used against her during her trial.
Mother-of-one Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been in prison in Iran since April 2016 on charges of spying. She is currently on hunger strike, as is her husband Richard, who is protesting outside the Iranian Embassy in London.
Hamid Baeidinejad, Iranian ambassador to the UK, told Channel 4 News the comments by Mr Johnson, the front runner in the Tory leadership race, made "no change" to her case and that he is not to blame for her imprisonment.
When asked whether Mr Johnson's statement was damaging, the ambassador said: "That was the initial wrongdoing by the lady - she was identifying some reporters to be connected to illegal activities.
"For us there is no change because that was in fact the reason for her to be in prison. But I understand that this statement by, at that point, foreign secretary Boris Johnson was in fact more sensitive within the domestic policy of the UK - but for us there was no change."
Mr Baeidinejad suggested Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe could apply for clemency, adding the Iranian authorities were ready to help.
He said: "There are certain provisions for clemency but there are certain requirements and if the requirements would be met, certainly there is a solution and we are ready to help."
When the suggestion was put to husband Richard Ratcliffe outside the embassy, he said he was not keen to do anything that could throw his wife's innocence into question.
He said: "Well I think we'll see what the judiciary says but I think if they were going to be looking for clemency then they would have signalled that before?"
Mr Ratcliffe added he was unsure whether the family's lawyers had tried appealing for mercy but said he would see how things develop.
"We'll see," he said. "Candidly I'm not sure I want to give away the idea that she's innocent. But we'll see how things develop here."
