Iranians celebrate nuclear deal, hail Zarif as hero

Tehran

The crowd was small at first but as the din of car horns grew louder so did the number of Iranians celebrating a long-awaited nuclear deal in Tehran late Tuesday.

Some said they hoped it would improve their lives and change Iran's image abroad. Others simply wanted to express their gratitude.

"Thank you Mr Zarif," said Parvaneh Farvadi, among the hundreds who assembled at Parkway, a busy intersection in the north of the capital, shortly after sundown.

Her admiration was not confined to Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whose name rang out in song.

"I love John Kerry," the 32-year-old said of the US Secretary of State who for almost two years has faced Zarif at the forefront of nuclear talks which culminated in Tuesday's historic deal.

"We are so happy. The diplomacy worked," Farvadi added, as people placed Iranian flags atop their car windscreens and others held balloons out of the windows. Some people even danced.

Several drivers also carried a large wooden key -- the symbol of President Hassan Rouhani's successful election campaign two years ago, after which a nuclear deal became his dominant aim.

As a candidate Rouhani said the key stood for "prudence and hope", and pledged the nuclear crisis could be solved and economic prosperity restored after nearly a decade of international sanctions.