Iranians Celebrate Nuclear Deal, Zarif Hailed as Hero
Friday, 03 Apr 2015 05:06 AM
Hundreds of Iranians took to the streets in Tehran early Friday to celebrate a breakthrough in talks with the West that may end the country's 12-year-long nuclear crisis.
The capital's longest street, Val-e-Asr Avenue, was lined with cars as drivers sounded their horns in approval of a framework deal intended to lead to a comprehensive agreement with world powers in June.
"Whatever the final result of the negotiations, we are winners," 30-year-old Behrang Alavi said on Val-e-Asr at around 1:00 am as the noise reverberated around him.
"Now we will be able to live normally like the rest of the world," he said, as people flashed V-signs for victory and danced while waving white handkerchiefs in a traditional Iranian celebration.
The scenes came after Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said key parameters of the framework for a deal had been agreed with the West, paving the way for a final deal by June 30.
President Obama welcomed the "historic understanding" with the Islamic republic but cautioned that more work needed to be done before a deal can be sealed.
Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Friday, waving flags, honking horns and celebrating their country's nuclear deal with the United States.
"It's a real victory for us," an Iranian named Musa was quoted saying on NBCNews.com.
The streets of Tehran erupted in celebration with people dancing and some flaunting U.S. dollar bills, according to CNN.
Social media erupted as well, with videos and photos of Iranians waving flags and flashing the victory sign.
#IranTalks جلف بازی های غنی سازه شده من و احسان @mirsaeedii @tarafdari اینقدر خوشحالم که نمیدونم چیکار کنم، کشورم به دنیا برگشت! Celebration at Tehran after framework agreement on Tehran's nuclear program between Iran and 5+1 Dancing with my friend on the street with other people
A video posted by Armin Jannatkhah (@arminjannatkhah) on Apr 2, 2015 at 3:35pm PDT
A crowd of well-wishers hailed Iranian negotiators Friday as they returned to Tehran after agreeing the framework of a nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian news agencies reported.
Several dozen people greeted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his team as they left Tehran's Mehr Abad airport after returning from the negotiations in Lausanne, the ISNA news agency reported.
"Viva Zarif! Viva Araghchi!" the crowd chanted, in reference to the minister and top negotiator Abbas Araghchi.
In brief remarks at the airport, Zarif praised Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for "his remarkable support for the negotiating team and his guidance" in the talks, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Reaching out to Iranian hardliners who have opposed any deal that would curb Tehran's nuclear activities, Zarif said work remained to finalise the agreement before a June 30 deadline.
"This set of solutions will be the basis for writing a final document," he said in the airport.
Residents lined the streets as Zarif drove away from the airport, many carrying Iranian flags, with the minister emerging from the sunroof of his car and waving to the crowd.
Iran's hard-liners, however, are criticizing a tentative nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, saying the deal was a bargain for the West and a disaster for Iran.
Hossein Shariatmadari, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and editor of the hard-line Kayhan daily told the semi-official Fars news agency on Friday that Iran exchanged its "ready-to-race horse with a broken bridle."
Another conservative analyst, Mahdi Mohammad, referred to the Fordo underground uranium enrichment facility and told the news outlet that under the deal, "A disaster happened in Fordo."
Iran agreed to stop enrichment at Fordo, changing the facility to a nuclear research center. The proposed deal limits Iran's nuclear program in return for an end to crippling economic sanctions.
Material from AFP and The Associated Press were used in this report.
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