Iranian FM preparing for regional tour

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will embark on a tour of several regional countries, including Lebanon, to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments, senior diplomatic sources announced on Saturday. "This visit will take place soon; we are planning it now and as soon as we set the dates, we will publicize it,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said. Zarif's last foreign visit was a two-day trip to Turkey on January 4-5, where he met his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.   “My visit to Turkey had good achievements for expansion of bilateral economic ties and easing the consular status of Iranians residing in  Turkey,” the Iranian foreign minister wrote on his Facebook page following his visit. Zarif also visited Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE in his last several-legged tour of the region.