Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Mohammad Zarif addressed the German Council on Foreign Relations on Monday, declaring that he believes negotiations between his government and the P5+1 nuclear powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) could be concluded in six months and adding that “I don’t fear a decision in the US Congress (about additional sanctions) the US president has promised to veto it.” He added a solemn promise that Iran “will not start a military operation against anyone – I say: against anyone.” His comments came a day after Iran received the first installment of frozen funds, totaling $500 million, which were part of the deal agreed to in Geneva last November. The funds were released despite comments by Iranian officials in recent weeks flatly repudiating the narrative that Western leaders took away from the deal and re-affirming their rejection of any rollback in the Islamic Republic’s renegade nuclear program. Read More
