Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Washington’s offer of dialogue towards Tehran still stands, even if the Iranian government "has decided to isolate itself." This is what U.S. President Barack Obama, said in a video message released late on Wednesday on the Internet, addressing the Iranian people and subtitled in Farsi. The occupant of the White House has also called for greater cultural and educational exchanges for students from Iran, for whom he wished a better future as well as free internet access.
Just like last year, Obama’s video message marks Nowruz, a celebration of 12 days that greets the arrival of spring and the beginning of New Year according to the Persian calendar. It comes at a difficult time in relations between Washington in the Middle East region, after the recent diplomatic crisis with Israel and the resistance encountered by the Arab world. Difficulties that might split the front wanted by Washington in the region to contain the Iranian nuclear threat.
In 2009 Obama was the first U.S. president to speak directly to the Iranian people and government, offering a "new beginning" in diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran. Since then, however, the policy of a "helping hand" to the regime of the Ayatollahs - with which there are no direct links since the assault on the U.S. Embassy in 1979 - has not yielded fruit. American efforts to impose a new set of sanctions against Iran have met resistance in the United Nations, especially from Russia and China.
Analysts emphasize that Obama’s latest message seems to be a strong sign of support for the internal opposition. "The United States - said the U.S. president - believe in human dignity and international order." He hopes for "a future in which the Iranians can exercise their rights and participate fully in the global economy and enrich the world through educational and cultural exchanges."
Obama finally called for free access to the Internet and computer technology "to allow people to" communicate with each other and with the rest of the world, "without encountering" the rigid net of censorship. "
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