Family fear British couple jailed in Iran could 'starve to death' after 'guards abandon prison' amid threat of US and Israeli airstrikes

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A British couple who were jailed in Iran on suspicion of spying could be at risk of starving to death after prison guards reportedly abandoned their posts amid the US-Israel strikes.  

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53, were arrested in Iran on January 2025 and jailed for 10 years on espionage charges, which they deny, last month. 

The couple are currently being held in Evin prison, a notorious jail for political prisoners and foreigners, in Tehran, which has faced extensive strikes from US and Israeli forces in the last four days.

Their family last heard from Lindsay and Craig on Monday morning, saying there had been 'lots of explosions all around them' and the plastic windows behind the prison cell bars have been blown out.

On Monday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched a wave of strikes in the 'heart of Tehran' targeting senior political and security figures linked to the Iranian regime.

Lindsay's son, Joe Bennett, said he feared the couple could starve to death as food and water supplies run out, while there is also the danger they could be hit by stray explosions or bullets.

The family said they had also heard reports of prisoners being shot in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary, to the south of the city, after a missile strike blew part of the jail open and some inmates tried to escape.

No such incidents have happened at Evin, Craig said, although it has been reported that prison officials have abandoned the facility. 

Lindsay and Craig Foreman (pictured), both 52, were arrested in Kerman, southern Iran, on January 3 last year, as they embarked on a motorcycle trip around the world to Australia

The couple (pictured), from east Sussex, had intended to travel from Armenia to Pakistan via Iran when they were intercepted by authorities and later charged with espionage

Joe Bennett, Ms Foreman's son, who has been campaigning for their freedom for over a year 

The wife of Mostafa Mohammad-Hassan, a political prisoner being held in Evin, said that the situation at the facility was 'critical'. 

'The situation in Evin Prison is critical. (Iran Counter Terrorism) NOPO forces control the facility, the gates are sealed, and officials have left. Food is scarce and the prison store is closed,' she wrote in a post on X last night. 

Joe added in a statement on Monday: 'We remain extremely concerned about their safety and welfare. They are currently in the middle of a warzone without local consular support. 

'They are in danger of being hit by stray explosions, being caught up in local skirmishes or even being shot. 

'There is also danger of starvation and water supplies running out as they are back to having no funds to buy supplies even though the prison shop is open. 

'We implore our government and that of the US to make sure that their safety and welfare, along with all the other foreign nationals held in Iran, is a priority at this time.'

A family spokesperson added: 'The family remain extremely concerned that Lindsay and Craig, along with other political prisoners' safety and welfare, are not an obvious priority to the UK or US Government. 

'They call upon the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and President Trump to call for Lindsay and Craig's release along with all of the other foreign nationals who are arbitrarily detained in Iran.'

The entrance of Evin prison in Tehran, where Craig and Lindsay Foreman are being held 

Plumes of smoke rise after strikes in Pardis, Tehran province, following the US-Israel strikes

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper previously labelled the couple's sentence 'completely appalling and totally unjustifiable', and vowed the Government will 'pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned'.

Her Tory counterpart, Dame Priti Patel, condemned the jail term as 'disgraceful', and called on Sir Keir Starmer to 'use all available leverage' to secure their release.

The couple's sentence was confirmed to their families last month. They had recently sent a letter to the Iranian authorities complaining about their treatment.

Joe called the news of the couple's prison sentence 'gut-wrenching' and has called on the UK Government to 'step up to the mark' to secure their release.

He told the BBC in February: 'You don't fully ever know but I think if you look at history the 10 years is just a number, and that we work towards it being as short a time as possible.

'I mean, don't get me wrong, it's an absolutely mental thing to be discussing with your innocent mother and stepfather that they are facing 10 years in an Iranian prison.

'I think if you look at the playbook, which there isn't much of one, but if you look at it and how it plays out from sentencing, we have seen some cases that are resolved within a matter of weeks, we've seen some cases that unfortunately drag out for years.

'There's no set tone for this, but as I say, what we have to hope is that this is a step in a direction.' 

Smoke plumes rise following missile strikes in Tehran on March 1

Families flee after US-Israel strikes hit central Tehran

Israel bombed Evin prison during its 12-day air war with Iran last June, killing at least 71 people, Iran said at the time. 

Meanwhile, the latest US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 787 people, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

In Israel, where Iranian missiles struck several locations, 11 people were killed. The Iranian-supported militant group Hezbollah has also attacked Israel, whose retaliatory strikes killed 52 people in Lebanon.

The US military has confirmed six deaths of American service members. Three people were killed in the United Arab Emirates, and one each in Kuwait and Bahrain.