President Donald Trump’s Persian New Year message to the Iranian people is a plot by the U.S. government to create disunity and instability in the Islamic Republic, an Iranian cleric told a large gathering of Friday prayers in Arak, the capital of Iran’s Markazi Province, earlier today. “The newcomer in the White House has sent Nowruz congratulatory message, and this message has a hidden purpose. By sending Nowruz message, Trump wants to draw the attention of those who are seeking to create sedition in the country,” Hojjatoleslam Hosseini-Pour said during a sermon to worshipers. “Of course, the people of Iran, with their intelligence and vigilance, are always familiar with the Arrogance’s [U.S.] plots and will not be deceived by their conspiracies,” he added – cautioning that that there was a hidden agenda behind the message as Trump’s “advisor has said he hopes the 2009 sedition repeats itself in Iran’s [upcoming] elections.”
Comment: Hosseini-Pour’s remark is a reaction to President Trump’s holiday greeting he sent Wednesday to Iranians celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year. "Nowruz means 'new day' in Persian. It is an occasion to celebrate new beginnings, a sentiment that is particularly meaningful for so many Iranians who have come to our country in recent decades to make a new start in a free land," the president said in a statement released by the White House. “For many years, I have greatly enjoyed wonderful friendships with Iranian-Americans, one of the most successful immigrant groups in our country’s contemporary history. They come from diverse religious backgrounds—including Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian, and Baha’i—but all share an affection for their ancestral heritage,” the president’s message added. “To the Iranian people and all those around the world celebrating Nowruz: On behalf of the American people, I wish you freedom, dignity, and wealth. Nowruz Pirouz (Happy Nowruz).” The fact that Trump’s message left out the Iranian government may also have irked Iranian leaders. Moreover, Iranian leaders are extremely suspicious of any outreach by the U.S. government's to the Iranian people.
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