Iranian Front Pages on Nuclear Deal

July 13, 2015

On July 13 and 14, the front pages of Iranian newspapers reflected widespread anticipation of a nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers. Reports from the Vienna talks suggested a deal could be announced within a day. Conservative papers framed the agreement as a potential capitulation to Western or U.S. demands. Reformist papers, on the other hand, described the deal as a fulfillment of President Hassan Rouhani’s promise to solve the nuclear dispute. Some papers compared Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to heroes from Iran’s past. The following is a sampling of the diverse headlines on the negotiations.

July 14

Aftab-e Yazd (Reformist)
 

Amir Kabir* of our times

*Amir Kabir was chief minister to Naser al Din Shah in the mid-19th century and is regarded as one of Iran’s early reformers.

Aftab continues: “Regardless of the results of negotiations, Zarif’s special status will be reserved among Iranians. We say this because, regardless of results, some will attack this true servant of our country. Of course, this has historical background. Upon reading history, we notice that some people cannot stand these great men. For example, in case of Amir Kabir, we see that hostilities began when he started his reforms when he became prime minister. Today we see that our Mohammad Javad Zarif has changed the rules of the game for some. Those who profited from the cruel sanctions hoped that they would be prolonged. But it seems that it is a new day. Due to Zarif and his colleagues, the world looks at Iran differently. We do not intend to say that Zarif is Amir Kabir, but to better understand his greatness, it is good to make a small comparison-- a small comparison, to make a big point.”

 

Ghanoon (Centrist)

From Arash [the Archer]* to Zarif: We have suffered a lot for Iran to become a jewel.

*Arash the Archer is a hero from Iranian folklore who helped determine Iran’s borders by shooting an arrow that flew a great distance.

 

Kayhan (Conservative)

The 12 year struggle; is Vienna the last stop?

“Is resolving the nuclear issue the West’s only problem? If it is true, why do the Americans and some of the other members of P5+1 [countries] insist on inspecting Iran’s military sites? Why does the Western media say that P5+1 countries emphasized that Iran should change its behavior with regards to the resistance front [referring to Hezbollah and Hamas]? To answer this question, we should look at the background of 12 years of negotiations between Iran and P5+1. Many domestic analysts and fair foreigners [analysts] emphasize that the nuclear struggle and the U.S. and its allies concerns is an excuse to counter the Islamic revolution’s progress…”
 

 

Arman-e Emrooz (Reformist)
 
No extension, no halts. A Deal and nothing else. The nuclear eid is on its way [referring to the upcoming Eid al Fitr holiday]
 
 

Etemad (Reformist)

Agreement Day

“The end of nuclear struggle will be announced today.”

 

July 13

Kayhan (Conservative)

An agreement under the Lausanne framework is a defeat [for Iran]

“Evidence suggests that the Americans are pursuing their goals under the Lausanne framework. If those goals, which reflect the American fact sheet, are met, the United States would be the winner of this struggle.”

 

Arman-e Emrooz (Reformist)
 
Spokesman for the police force: Police are ready for the nuclear [deal] celebration
 
“We do not have official orders, but if there are, the police will be side-by-side with the people, celebrating “
 
Iran (Centrist)
 
The smile of diplomats in the last stage of negotiations
 
“Rouhani: We are very close to the top of the mountain; our diplomats stand firm.”
 
 
Shargh (Reformist)
 
Day of Reckoning
 
“Rouhani: I kept my promise.”
“Zarif: There will be no extensions.”
 
 
 
Vatan Emrooz (Conservative)
 
American factsheet being imposed?
 
“Is the White House’s interpretation from Lausanne going to be the basis of the comprehensive deal in Vienna?”
 
Tejarat (Centrist)
 
Everyone is prepared for the big agreement.
 
“The last sequence of 22 months of negotiations.”  
 
 
Aftab-e Yazd (Reformist)
 
Rouhani : I kept my [campaign] promise [on the nuclear issue]
 
“Unofficial sources hint toward the nuclear agreement between Iran and the west.”
“People should be ready for the nuclear celebration.”
 
 
Ebtekar (Reformist)
 
Preparation for the nuclear [deal] celebration
 
“Iran’s nuclear case has finally reached its end after 13 years.”
"NAJA [law enforcement forces or police]: Within the framework of laws, we are side-by-side with the people."
 
 
 
Sina Azodi, a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, contributed to this roundup.

 

Photo credit: Iran Front Page