Obama makes special overture to Iran

In a significant departure from the previous administration’s tone, President Obama welcomed "new beginnings" with Iran in a surprise video message marking Nowruz, the Iranian new year. The video does not specifically address the nuclear standoff, but instead recognizes the contribution of Iran's historical culture and calls on Tehran's leaders to turn a new page. "These challenges are interconnected and Obama gets that," said Ploughshares Fund President Joe Cirincione.

Cirincione commented, "We're not used to this - a president that has this comprehensive, integrated and sophisticated foreign policy. He doesn't feel the need to show U.S. toughness, to draw a red line around the Iranian (nuclear) program.”  Trita Parsi of the Ploughshares-funded National Iranian American Council wrote, “He is sending a signal of strategic intent that America’s objective is to find constructive relations between the US and Iran.”