Iran's Zarif in Baghdad for talks Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was in Iraq meeting with officials, following a trip to Lebanon and ahead of a stop in Syria. Tehran is the staunchest regional ally of the Syrian regime, which is scheduled to sit down with the opposition at peace talks in the Swiss town of Montreux on January 22. Zarif has said that Iran's absence at the talks would be regrettable. Images of his press conference with his Iraqi counterpart