Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Nazanin, husband Richard and seven-year-old Gabriella all "snuggled down together" after their "dreams came true" in an emotional reunion on Wednesday ...

Here I was hoping to sleep for a week…" Reacting to the news, Mr Ratcliffe said he was "so relieved" his wife was at last coming home so they could "start being a normal family again." Of their plans for the next few days, Mr Ratcliffe told his sister they plan to "play it by ear" and "take each day as it comes". "Last night when they finally got to bed, which was in the early hours of the morning, they all snuggled down together and there's a lovely photo Richard just sent me with Gabriella and Nazanin sharing a cup of tea in bed and just really enjoying all being together," Ms Ratcliffe said. "He laughingly told me that Gabriella slept in between him and Nazanin last night for the first time in six years." He laughingly told me that Gabriella slept in between him and Nazanin last night for the first time in six years.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained for six years after being accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.

To her utter surprise, at the end of the questioning, and there were some scare tactics in there, she was given her British passport back. “Bearing in mind she hasn’t seen her British passport since the 23rd of April 2016. Labour MP Tulip Siddiq tweeted an image of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe embracing her husband and daughter with the caption: “This picture makes me so happy and so proud of all 3 of my brave constituents. Mr Ashoori was then reunited with his family, who were in tears as they embraced. She then carried the little girl in her arms as they were surrounded by other family members. She said: “She was contacted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in Iran over the weekend and asked to come in for questioning, and quite apprehensive – she messaged me before she went. Thank you everyone for your constant support for this incredible family. “It was only when we heard that the wheels were up in Tehran that we really knew it was happening,” she said. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori were initially taken to the Gulf state of Oman, which has been closely involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations to secure their freedom. “It’s been very emotional, but also a really happy moment for the families, and I’m pleased to say that both Nazanin and Anoosheh are in good spirits and they’re safe and well back here in Britain.” Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe then appeared in the video and hugged and kissed her daughter, and asked her “do I smell nice?” before holding her hands. Tears of joy were shed as the families of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were reunited with their loved ones in the early hours of Thursday morning after years of a “long and cruel separation” caused by their detention in Iran.

LINDSAY NICHOLSON: Yesterday morning I was making breakfast, radio on, when I heard a sound that moved me to my core, a visceral, almost animalistic cry.

My defence mechanism is to switch off and not dwell on her absence.' The cry of mothers, myself included, separated from, then reunited, with a poorly child was something I was to hear with heart-breaking regularity over the months that followed. Being able to see her daughter only from afar must have been a torment. For this is not the first time I have heard the sound that Nazanin made. And I remembered that desperate need to have skin-on-skin contact with your child – as if unable to believe she is real. Yesterday morning I was making breakfast, radio on, when I heard a sound that moved me to my core, a visceral, almost animalistic cry.

There were tears of joy as the British-Iranian touched down on home soil, where she was met by her family.

Anoosheh, who was detained for almost five years, was accused of spying. Nazanin was held for six years, accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government. She said: “So lovely to have uplifting conversations with Richard and Nazanin. Here’s their first family selfie!”

Richard Ratcliffe says they are looking forward to a new, normal life after his wife's long detention in Iran.

Ratcliffe said she had picked out which toys to take to show her mother when her plane landed, and wanted to play the piano for her and show off her craft equipment. “We’re both in our own way a bit battered, and that won’t play out today but it will manifest in different ways,” he said. “I think, actually, we were looking at the house and it needs a bit of tidying, so there might be a bit of tidying, perhaps directed by mummy.”

British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was reunited with her loved ones in the early hours of this morning after years of a "long and cruel separation" ...

and again shouted "mummy" as her mother walked down the plane's stairs. An emotional video was shared live on Instagram by Mr Ashoori's daughter Elika as the pair disembarked the plane. Sher touched down at RAF Brize Norton at just after 1am, and a video shared on social media showed the emotional homecoming as Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugged and kissed her young daughter