LONDON: A hunger strike by Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of a British-Iranian woman detained in Iran, entered its 13th day and he insisted that his protest is a 鈥渨arning shot鈥� for London.

Ratcliffe has slept in a pop-up tent just outside the Foreign Office in London for nearly the past two weeks in an effort to spur the British government to do more to bring home his wife, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been detained in Iran since 2016.

Ratcliffe told the Guardian on Friday he is trying to make sure the government understands that 鈥渢his is not a stunt,鈥� but rather 鈥渁 warning shot.鈥�

He said he would continue to strike until the government acknowledges that ministers need to act fast to save his wife from her Iranian confinement.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a 43-year-old mother of one, has been imprisoned for more than five years 鈥� most of them spent in Iran鈥檚 notorious Evin Prison 鈥� accused by Tehran of plotting to overthrow the regime. She denied the charges.

Ratcliffe explained to the Guardian that it was difficult to know whether he should end the hunger strike 鈥嬧€媔n the near-freezing temperatures. He said he felt cold, slept a lot, and has struggled to deal with the lack of sustenance.

The couple鈥檚 daughter Gabriella, 7, is being cared for at the family home by Zaghari-Ratcliffe鈥檚 brother.

The last time Ratcliffe went on hunger strike, outside the Iranian embassy in 2019, it lasted 15 days, which is the estimated threshold for making a subsequent full recovery. 

That was in June, and he was joined by 100 sympathizers, which created what he described as 鈥渁lmost a carnival feel.鈥� 

But this strike is in November as he has been flanked each night by only two family members or friends 鈥� and yet he is determined to go on for longer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more visceral this time around. It鈥檚 smaller, darker, more pointed. I鈥檓 saying things I wouldn鈥檛 have said two years ago,鈥� Ratcliffe told the Guardian.

He said he is especially frustrated that Iran鈥檚 vice president is being 鈥渨ined and dined鈥� by ministers at the Cop26 Summit in Glasgow. 鈥淚 promised the Foreign Office 鈥� I would find a way to rain on that parade. It鈥檚 the complicity, pretending the world can just go on as normal.鈥�

Ratcliffe also said that he observed a 鈥渞eal drift鈥� in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson鈥檚 attitude toward his wife鈥檚 plight during his tenure.

鈥淭he policy is one of managed waiting, waiting for Iran to do the right thing, for a diplomatic solution,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is no strategy to get Naz home, which I said very bluntly to (foreign secretary) Liz Truss last week. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 camping on the street because after five and a half years that鈥檚 really clear.鈥�

Ratcliffe explained that the solution to his wife鈥檚 confinement is clear: the government must pay an outstanding debt between London and pre-Revolutionary Iran. The debt is worth an estimated 拢400m ($539m), which was part of an arms deal that Britain received payment for but did not deliver on, due to the revolution's change of government.

The families of other British citizens detained in Iran have also aligned with Ratcliffe. The family of Anoosheh Ashoori 鈥� now serving a 10-year sentence after allegedly spying for Israel 鈥� joined the protest on some nights.

鈥淭here鈥檚 strength in numbers,鈥� Ashoori鈥檚 daughter, Elika Ashoori, said. 鈥淔or those of us who can speak up, it's very important we put pressure on the government. Otherwise, Iran will continue to hold hostages and more families will be affected.鈥�

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 鈥淚ran鈥檚 decision to proceed with these baseless charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through. Instead of threatening to return Nazanin to prison, Iran must release her permanently so she can return home. We are doing all we can to help Nazanin get home to her young daughter and family and we will continue to press Iran on this point.鈥�