Zarif Receives Hero’s Welcome in Tehran

Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif returned to Tehran to a hero’s welcome as hundreds of peoples greeted him at the airport after Theusday’s historic deal in the Vienna nuclear talks.

A crowd gathered at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport on Wednesday morning as Zarif, the country’s chief nuclear negotiator, and his team arrived from Mashhed.

“Zarif, thank you,” people chanted while waving the Islamic republic’s green, white and red flag. Others took out their mobile phones to take pictures of a man who has become a national hero.

On Tuesday night, thousands of Iranians took to the streets to celebrate the historic nuclear deal in Vienna.

In Tehran, residents took to the streets, waving flags from cars to celebrate the outline agreement, which sets the stage for work on a final accord over the next three months.

“We are very happy, so happy. We haven’t make any big progress in 10 years, we are very happy that we can finally go forward,” a local resident named Musa said. “It’s a real victory for us.”

Iran and a group of six nations led by the United States reached a historic accord on Tuesday to limit Tehran’s nuclear ability  in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions.

The agreement appears set to reshape relations between Iran and the West, with its effects likely to ripple across the volatile Middle East.

US president Barack Obama praised the deal on Tuesday morning, saying the agreement met the goals he had in place throughout negotiations.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also praised the deal, speaking after Obama finished, as televisions in Iran broadcast the U.S. President’s statement live, translated into Farsi.

“Negotiators have reached a good agreement and I announce to our people that our prayers have come true,” Rouhani said in a live address to the nation following Obama.

fair to share...