Prez Offers Iran 'New Beginning'

President Obama has offered Iran a fresh start in relations with the US in an unprecedented video message to the Iranian people and leadership, reports the BBC. The president, in a message released to mark the start of Iranian New Year and distributed to news outlets across the region, said his administration was committed to diplomacy, but warned that the process would not be advanced by threats.

"The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations," Obama said. "You have that right—but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms." (More diplomacy stories.)