海角大神

Back in Tehran, nuclear negotiators get a hero's welcome

Jubilant Iranians swarmed the nuclear negotiating team upon their arrival home, potentially strengthening negotiators' hand in quieting critics.

Iran鈥檚 nuclear negotiators received a hero's welcome at home after sealing a breakthrough deal in Geneva, their convoy mobbed by hundreds of jubilant Iranians waving flowers and flags 鈥撀爐he first images of popular support that will be used to sell the deal at home.

Despite some sniping from hardliners that Iran gave away too much for too little in Geneva, for most Iranians the deal brings a sense of relief and joy at the prospect of an improved economy and changing relationship with the outside world.

The six-month deal, reached in the early hours Sunday, halts the advance of Iran鈥檚 nuclear program in exchange for a partial lifting of sanctions as the first step to a comprehensive final agreement.

In Tehran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was praised as an 鈥渁mbassador of peace鈥� for tireless efforts during three rounds of Geneva negotiations with world powers since October. Chants rang out, 鈥淣o to war, sanctions, surrender and insult,鈥� the AP reported.

Both Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany)聽have declared victory, and portrayed the other side as receiving limited and 鈥渞eversible鈥� gains聽鈥� a bid to preempt domestic critics.

In Iran, the government campaign to sell the deal to the public immediately began at the highest level, with a very public exchange of letters between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the centrist President Hassan Rouhani, who has been in office just three-and-a-half months.听A blessing from Mr. Khamenei can go a long way to silence potential critics in Iran; a less supportive message would have been seen as a license to attack and undermine President Rouhani.

In his letter, Mr. Rouhani praised the 鈥渄ivine success鈥� under Khamenei鈥檚 guidance. He said Iran鈥檚 negotiating team had 鈥渟howed the big powers can be urged to respect the Iranian nation鈥檚 rights鈥� and 鈥渢hrough logical and reasonable presentation [can achieve] respecting all [Iran鈥檚] principles and red lines,鈥澛�.听

In return, Khamenei聽 expressed an unprecedented level of support for his negotiators, the highest for any during a decade of high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with the West.

鈥淎chieving what you have written is worth appreciation and praise to the nuclear negotiating team鈥�and can be the basis for future smart moves,鈥� Fars quoted Mr. Khamenei as writing. 鈥淕od willing, resistance against greediness (of the other side) should always remain as an indicator [of] a correct path.鈥�

Amid chaotic scenes at the airport聽Sunday聽night, Mr. Zarif posed for a few photos, in one surrounded by a crowd of young female supporters, indicative of the widespread support of young Iranians who helped give Rouhani a first-round victory in June's elections.

Most newspapers covered their front pages Monday with the news, including the reformist Shargh, which showed a large photograph of Zarif clasping hands with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the signing ceremony, both men smiling, and a US flag in the background.

It was a rare sight for senior officials of these two nations, and rarer still to be on Iranian front pages. In the past, Iran has called the US the "Great Satan," and American flags are still routinely burned after聽Friday聽prayers. Washington used to refer to Iran as part of an "Axis of Evil," and still considers the Islamic Republic the "most active" state sponsor of terrorism.

鈥淎ll the measures that we will take, the confidence-building measures, are reversible, and they can be reversed fast,鈥� Zarif told state TV in an interview at the airport, echoing senior US officials about the reversibility of sanctions relief. 鈥淥f course, we hope we don鈥檛 have to do this.鈥�

Zarif affirmed that the Geneva deal 鈥渟tipulates twice that there will be no resolution of the nuclear dispute without a nuclear enrichment program inside Iran鈥� 鈥撀爓hich has been a perennial red line for Iran, and a key sticking point in all聽rounds聽of talks.

Writing on his Facebook page in Persian, Zarif later thanked Khamenei for his praise in the letter, 鈥渨here he bestowed grace upon his children as before.鈥� Public messages of support 鈥渂rought tears of joy into our eyes as your modest serving staff,鈥� said Zarif, according to the Mehr News Agency.

Zarif also warned critics to聽tread carefully, and not give Israel, which has slammed the deal as akin to appeasement, an opening for derailing it.

鈥淲e would welcome constructive and benevolent criticism, but we expect in return that our friends [keep] in mind two considerations; fairness of judgment and more important, national interests,鈥� Zarif wrote. 鈥淵ou should be alert that Zionists and other warmongers [are] all extremely on edge and they would spare no pretext and device to bring a deal dubbed a deal of the century for Iran, into nothing."