WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama told Iranians in an online video message that the U.S. wants more educational and cultural exchanges and lamented that Iran’s leaders have “turned their backs” on good-faith overtures in the past to expand opportunities for their people.
State radio in Iran quickly accused the Americans of “pursuing the same Iranophobic policy” as always.
In the second such video of his presidency directed at Iran, Obama said the U.S. offer of diplomatic dialogue still stands but that the Iranian government has chosen isolation.
He said the U.S. believes in the dignity of every human being.
The White House released the video late Friday, timing it, as it did last year, to coincide with Nowruz, a 12-day holiday celebrating the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year on the Persian calendar. The video comes as the United States has hit a rough patch in its relationships in the region, particularly with Israel.
“The United States believes in the dignity of every human being and an international order that bends the arc of history in the direction of justice — a future where Iranians can exercise their rights, to participate fully in the global economy and enrich the world through educational and cultural exchanges beyond Iran’s borders,” Obama said in the video, which had Farsi subtitles.
There was no official reaction in Iran, and it was difficult to gauge to what extent those inside the country were able to see Obama’s message.
Iranian authorities have blocked access to YouTube and many other websites that have been used by the opposition movement there.
Some Iranian news websites carried reports about the message but did not post the video itself or go into detail about what Obama said. State radio briefly mentioned the message and said in a commentary that it was intended to create a rift among Iranians.
