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EU's Mogherini in Tehran to talk nuclear deal, regional issues: TV
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addresses during a joint news conference with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini (L) after a plenary session at the United Nations building in Vienna, Austria, July 14, 2015. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
28/07/2015
ANKARA (Reuters) - The European Union's top diplomat arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss implementation of a nuclear deal reached between Iran and six major powers aimed at curbing the country's nuclear work in return for the lifting of sanctions, state TV reported.
The deal was reached on July 14 between Iran, the United States, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany to end more than a decade-old standoff over the disputed nuclear program.
"The EU's (Foreign Policy Chief Federica) Mogherini arrived in Tehran and she will meet top officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister (Mohammad Javad) Zarif and some other officials," state TV reported.
Iran's deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhteravanchi earlier said "mutual cooperation, the nuclear deal and regional matters" would also be discussed between Mogherini and Iranian officials during her one-day visit.
On Monday, Mogherini met Saudi Arabian officials to try to alleviate the concerns of Iran's arch-rival over the deal that she helped broker.
The Sunni Muslim kingdom and its Gulf Arab allies accuse Tehran of meddling in Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. They suspect the nuclear deal will give Iran more leeway to back allies in proxy wars from Yemen to Syria by freeing Shi'ite Muslim Iran from international pressure and sanctions.
After the deal was reached, Iran's most powerful authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran had no intention to stop backing its regional allies, including the Lebanese Hezbollah, Syria's government and Shi'ites in Bahrain and Yemen.
Iranian media said Mogherini would also press for a political solution to the Yemeni conflict, where Saudi-led air strikes have been launched against Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthi rebels.
(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Alison Williams
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