Iran: The New Year Starts With a Message From Obama · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

This year, the Iranian new year started with a surprising message from the US President Barak Obama, directed to the Iranian people and, for the first time, to the Islamic Republic leaders, in which he called for a new start between the two countries. Several bloggers have reacted to this message, and some see a new era beyond the 30 years of hassles and haggles between the two States.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former Iranian vice president, considers Obama's message very important and says:
using the title of Islamic republic of Iran, also congratulation to the Iran's nation and leaders. Undoubtedly it is a historical opportunity. We can not ignore the importance of USA for Iran's current situation. Undoubtedly we can not ignore trace of US leaders in all of Iran's dossiers also at least in economical aspect by embargos which have imposed to Iran's nation. Sending message for congratulation can be the most important political, economical and historical opportunity, today and after changing American government. Also ignoring that can make a situation for us more dangerous than Bush's term because Obama can mobilize political leaders and public opinion against Iran.
Blogger and journalist Masih Alinejad writes  [fa] about why Iranian National TV did not broadcast Obama’s message. She adds:
if Obama had talked as Bush and considered Iran a threat, Iranian National TV would broadcast several times. The blogger reminds that Bush’s famous speech when he called Iran a member of axis of evil was broadcasted several times in National TV.
Zandegieh Sagi  calls [fa] Obama’s message very positive and something that the Iranian people deserve. The blogger says that the first thing the Iranian government can do is to use appropriate political language.
In View from Iran, we read:
There are a lot of measures that the US government can take to build trust. Not all of those have to do with the Iranian government’s willingness to start dialogue with the US. I see Obama’s New Year message as positive, but we need more than that.
Mmoeeni writes [fa] that while the  Iranian TV did not broadcast the news about Obama's message, the Iranian president was able to insult the American leaders in the USA. The blogger adds, with a pinch of irony, that Ahmadinejad then says there is absolute freedom in Iran.
New Year Holidays
Iranians celebrated Norouz (Nowruz) on the first day of spring as the traditional Iranian new year holidays. On this occasion, some Iranians throw flowers on the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the first Persian Empire in Pasargad (photo above). The Save Pasargad website says [fa] that the Islamic Republic authorities did not provide any comfort for visitors in this historic place, but in recent years more people have come to celebrate the new year in Pasargad.