Top Iranian council approves nuclear deal

A senior council of Iranian clerics and lawyers on Wednesday approved implementing the landmark nuclear deal with world powers, sealing the final required step in the process despite hardliners' efforts to derail it.

The Guardian Council's vote marks a major victory for the administration of President Hassan Rouhani, which has campaigned on easing tensions with the West.

But it comes as Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard publicized images of an underground missile base and fired off a new long-range surface-to-surface rocket, showing that hardliners will remain a potent force within the country.