President Shimon Peres sent greetings for the Persian new year to the Iranian people yesterday, urging them to “replace the corrupt regime and return to your glorious Persian heritage, a heritage of culture and values, not of bombs and missiles.” Speaking first in Farsi and then in Hebrew, Peres also urged Iranian leaders not to threaten anyone or make their “children flee home,” an apparent reference to the possibility of war.The greeting for Nowruz, the Iranian new year that is celebrated today, was broadcast over Israel Radio’s Farsi service, which is popular in Iran.
