Obama's letter to Khamenei is in keeping with his publicly stated aim of engagement with Iran and his New Year's message in which he described a new way forward.

CNN: Obama sent letter to Iran leader before election, sources say

Ankara alienated Washington last year by voting against imposing new sanctions on Iran through the U.N.

WSJ: Egypt Unrest Rattles U.S. Approach in Region

After turning the page on Libya's oil-supply shutdown last year, markets now have a new drama to worry about: the rising tensions between Iran and the West.

WSJ: Oil Market's Iran Fears Might Be Overdone

This comes at a time when Iran must grow, and must produce at least 750, 000 new jobs each year, to keep pace with its surging population.

ECONOMIST: Iran

Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz or Nevruz marks the New Year and the beginning of spring across a vast geographical area covering, inter alia, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

UNESCO: Culture