Iran Offers Greetings to Countries Celebrating Nowruz

President Rouhani felicitated the beginning of spring and the Persian New Year to the leaders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq and Uzbekistan.

In the messages, the Iranian president voiced hope for a year of serenity, kindness, and prosperity, adding, “I hope that we, too, as statesmen, will be able to bring peace and unbreakable unity among nations with the arrival of the spring, and gift our people more prosperity and advancement.”

Rouhani further wished the people of regional countries a year full of hope, happiness and success.

Nowruz, which coincides with the first day of spring on the solar calendar (this year started on March 21), is mostly celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

The International Day of Nowruz was registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on February 23, 2010.

For Iranians, Nowruz is a celebration of renewal and change, a time to visit relatives and friends, and pay respect to senior family members.

Iranians welcome the New Year by wearing new clothes and setting the Haft Seen, a table containing seven data-x-items starting with the letter 'S'; Sabzeh (freshly grown greens), Samanu (sweet wheat paste), Senjed (jujube), Seeb (apple), Seer (garlic), Serkeh (vinegar) and Somaq (sumac).

Very early in the morning, President Rouhani addressed the nation in a video message on the advent of the New Persian Year, and praised Tehran’s achievements in establishing peace and security in the region.

Rouhani stressed the Iranian nation’s peaceful nature, hailing efforts to bring about stability to the region.

“Our nation has always created peace and calm in the region and the world,” he noted. “With concerted efforts in the past year, our devoted soldiers and diplomats could bring about more stability and security for the region alongside the nations of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.”

The president further extended congratulations to the neighboring countries that celebrate Nowruz.

He also hailed the country’s achievements in the past year, including “victory over terrorism” as well as the “Iranian nations’ victory in the international arena and international courts.”

Rouhani took the chance to decry the United States’ illegal sanctions on Tehran in the wake of withdrawal from the internationally backed nuclear deal.

“What the enemy wants in the face of these problems is to make us face one another by sowing discord among us,” he said. “Some may ask ‘How long will these problems and sanctions continue?’ I’d like to tell the Iranian nation that the problems began by the malicious oath breakers new to power in Washington, but the ending is in our hands.”

The Iranian president highlighted the global community’s support for Iran, noting, “We, a great nation, kept our oath and stood by our words.”

“Those who broke the oath revealed their (true) nature; those who committed crimes must know that the end of this path will not be in their favor.”

Before President Rouhani, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei offered greetings in a televised message to the nation on the occasion of the New Persian Year early this morning.

The leader hailed the nation's "fortitude and prudence" against the enemies’ conspiracies.

Ayatollah Khamenei designated the new Iranian calendar year of 1398 as the year of “Pick-up in Production”.

He lauded the Iranian nation for showing strong reaction to the severe and allegedly unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and abided by the Europe.

The Leader underlined that the economic issue still remain the top priority of the country.

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