In honor of Nowruz, United States President Barack Obama recorded a message to the people and leaders of Iran calling for a “new day” of engagement “grounded in mutual respect.”
“The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right — but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization. And the measure of that greatness is not the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to build and create.”
Israeli President Shimon Peres also issued a radio message asking Iran to reclaim its “worthy place among the nations of the enlightened world.”
