In New Year Message, Iran’s Zarif Stresses People’s Role in Overcoming Challenges (+Video)

"We rely solely on our own people to overcome any challenges," Zarif said in the video message released on Wednesday night.  

Following is the full transcription of the video:

Tomorrow, we Iranians—and others in our region and beyond—celebrate Nowruz, marking the coming of spring and the beginning of our Persian new year. It testifies to the character, spirit and magnanimity of our people that they celebrate amid unprecedented, inhumane and illegal sanctions and pressures. Indeed, despite the medieval tactics employed by the US to destroy their livelihoods, they are unwavering in their sense of hope.

This is of course not new: as our people have shown seven consecutive American presidents, we Iranians don’t just persevere in the face of adversity. Rather, we seize on it as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves, and to advance.

Nowruz represents the culture of constant renewal and hope. We not only celebrate the renewal of nature, but resolve to renew our thoughts, deeds and efforts for a brighter future for ourselves, our loved ones, our nation and indeed our planet. This year, we in government are at the forefront of this tradition as we reaffirm our endeavor to do better for our people – whether at home or abroad.

In the coming year, Iranians will experience the dividends of an emerging economy of resilience that will increasingly shield their livelihoods. This economy will be signified by greater connectivity, efficiency, transparency – and perhaps most importantly, accountability. In parallel, we will continue to engage with our partners to, brick by brick, dismantle the inhumane wall that the US administration has labored to erect around us.

Make no mistake: We rely solely on our own people to overcome any challenges. But we also welcome constructive engagement, including with the expanding array of nations who are equally sick and tired of the bullying of the US Whether via closer engagement with our neighbors or our partners in the nuclear deal and beyond, we will continue to assume our place as a safe and reliable center for trade and commerce in a troubled region.

We are under no illusion that the path ahead is easy, but I will remind those who wish us harm that Iranians have celebrated more than 3000 New Days - and will celebrate countless more before submitting to outside diktats, let alone those issued by an increasingly isolated power, which is today out of touch with the realities of our post-Western world. 

We Iranians have proudly outlived many aggressors, but our people have consistently shown a strong preference for less regional and global tension and more dialogue and constructive engagement.

To all my Iranian compatriots and all those celebrating in the “World of Nowruz”, I would like to extend my wishes for a happier, healthier and more hopeful New Year. With faith and hope, Iranians have shown that there is nothing that can stop us from pursuing a brighter future. As Rumi has said: “The springtime of Lovers has come, that this dust bowl may become a garden; the proclamation of heaven has come, that the bird of the soul may rise in flight.”

(A.J. Arberry, Mystical Poems of Rumi, P. 93)

Happy New Year to All of You.