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Why do Iranian hawks keep circling over Zarif?

With Iran disappointed with US actions in the region following the nuclear deal, prospects for broader dialogue appear dimmed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks at a news conference during a visit in Tunis September 1, 2015.   REUTERS/Anis Mili  - RTX1QJXN

VIENNA — Two months after the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, the elegant Palais Coburg appears as just another of many monuments in the Austrian capital. The making of history is over, and it is back to business as usual. In Iran, the same applies to the deal itself. Celebration has ended, and the prevailing sense of national achievement has largely evaporated in the shadow of intense domestic political infighting.

These days, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his team of negotiators are busy defending the Iranian government’s decision to go through with the deal. Pressure from the Parliament is mounting, driven by some political factions that are seizing the moment to shore up their positions ahead of the forthcoming February parliamentary elections. “This is just another attempt to sabotage this achievement [the deal],” an Iranian MP who’s in favor of the nuclear agreement told Al-Monitor. The lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “The first days [after the deal], they were lost; they knew not what to do. Then, they started lobbying against the deal behind closed doors, and finally, when they felt that they had affected the negotiating team’s credibility, they are now openly active. But they don’t understand that this is all behind us now.”

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