Well-known Kiwis detained in Iran have been released

A well-known New Zealand couple believed to have been detained in Iran for several months have left the country and are 'safe and well', the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

Travel bloggers Christopher ‘Topher’ Richwhite and Bridget Thackwray were believed to have been held in detention in the conservative Islamic Republic since entering the country in July.

1News understands the New Zealand Government had been attempting to negotiate the couple’s safe release, but there have been no public updates about their wellbeing until this morning.

"The New Zealanders we have been supplying with consular assistance in Iran have now left the country and they are safe and well. For privacy reasons we are unable to comment further," MFAT said.

Although the reason for their detention has not been confirmed, it’s understood the couple may have been accused of using photographic equipment in a restricted or military zone.

Iran has a well-documented recent history of detaining foreign nationals, and Richwhite and Thackwray’s detention came at a time of significant social unrest in the conservative country.

After raising the couple’s case with New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), 1News and other media agreed to delay reporting on the couple’s plight until now.

Yesterday, Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was previously jailed in Iran, tweeted about the couple's detention bringing it into the public domain.