On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Muhammad Javad Zarif, departed from Tehran to Vienna along with the Director of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, Ali Akbar Salehi, and Hossein Fereydoon, the brother and aide of the President Hassan Rouhani. Initially, he had been expected to return on Monday.
On Sunday evening, the Foreign Minister returned to Tehran for consultation, for what is widely regarded as an attempt to consolidate his negotiating mandate to conclude an agreement.
In Teheran, public opinion has many expectations from the Vienna talks. The Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, is considered as spearheading the reformist camp of the Islamic Republic. The deal in Vienna, if it comes to fruition, could embolden that camp given its positive consequences on growth, employment and prices. The toll of the sanctions on opportunities for business, travel, and study has been heavy. A government that concludes a deal will be inevitably popular. Whoever s perceived as spoiling the agreement will not be popular.
The reformist camp now has control of the government, but only in a cohabitation arrangement. For the press in Iran, Vienna talks are not the main story, even if this is the main concern of the business community, students, women, etc. And precisely because a deal would signal change in the domestic balance of power, a number of people are not optimistic that a deal can be made and honored. Tehran weighs on Vienna as much as Vienna weighs on Tehran.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/vienna-talks-weigh-on-balance-of-power-in-tehran/