Along Westwood Boulevard south of Wilshire Boulevard — a.k.a. “Tehrangeles” — Iranian merchants on Friday had reason beyond the Persian New Year’s holiday to shout out cheerful greetings to friends and customers. They also praised President Obama for extending an olive branch to the Iranian people and government, as he did in a speech to mark the start of the 12-day Nowruz holiday. “Somehow you have to break the ice,” said Farhad Djavanshir, 58, manager of Flame restaurant. “This is not the Stone Age. Iran has to communicate.”
