Emotional Susanna Reid fights back tears over video of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe hugging her daughter

SUSANNA Reid choked on seeing the emotional moment Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was reunited with her baby daughter after six years as a prisoner in Iran.

The overjoyed Nazanin, 44, was filmed hugging and kissing Gabriella, seven, after landing at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, at 1am today.

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In 2016, she was jailed for “conspiring to overthrow the Iranian government,” which she and her family vehemently deny.

Her release from Tehran came after tense negotiations between the British and Iranian governments after years of campaigning by Nazanin’s devoted husband Richard, 45.

In a shaky voice, Susanna told Good Morning Britain today: “Richard Ratcliffe made the decision to campaign openly and go on hunger strike.

“He had been warned it could risk Nazanin’s life and the risk he took to speak out was enormously brave and therefore drew everyone along. When the huge response from the audience comes in, everyone has invested.”

Noting how balanced the release effort was, she continued: “We have also seen the risks of speaking the wrong way, Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary, wrong word.

“Richard must have been walking on eggshells the whole time and worried about saying the right thing. He did absolutely the right thing at every stage. Absolutely brilliant work.”

Nazanin’s daughter called out “Mama” before running to greet her.

She then carried the little girl in her arms as they were surrounded by other family members and asked her, “Do I smell good?”

She was joined on the tarmac by another released prisoner, Anoosheh Ashoori, who was serving a four-year sentence in Tehran for espionage – which he denies.

Her landmark release came as ministers settled a historic £400million debt over a canceled 1970s fuel contract by agreeing a humanitarian aid package that could include Covid vaccines.