Great nation or Great Satan? US-Iran love affair

Hassan Rowhani calls US a 'great' nation in sharp change
Obama holds historic phone call with Rouhani 

Rothkopf: Hassan Rowhani can change U.S.-Iran relations -- and the world

Iranian President Rowhani tweets Jewish blessing - or did he?

Thursday, 5 September 2013

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was known for calling for the Holocaust a myth and gleefully predicted the annihilation of Israel. (File photo: Reuters)

Analysis: Rouhani begins tougher mission of selling US outreach to hard-liners at home

Peter Oborne's confusion on Iran: a friendly note

Hassan Rowhani Dear Diary: There’s no reason we can’t sit down and rap. Now, who’s up for some hacky sack?

Tristin Hopper | 20/09/13 | Last Updated: 21/09/13 9:41 AM ET
More from Tristin Hopper | @TristinHopper

The National Post re-imagines a week in the life of a newsmaker. Today, Tristin Hopper looks at the week through the eyes of Hassan Rowhani, president of Iran.

Monday
I was shuttling between meetings when, what do you know? I found myself driving past Tehran’s Yousefabad Synagogue. On the spur of the moment, I ordered my driver to stop, got out and bounded through the front doors.  “Hey, what’s up, Jews!?” I said, holding my hand up for a high five, “President Rouhani here!” There were not many people inside, but they all just looked at me with shocked stares.  “Oh, you’re probably still raw about all the Holocaust-denial, ‘wipe-Israel-off-the-map’ stuff … but hey, that was the last guy, not me,” I said. More stares.  “Uh, mazel tov?” I yelled, but receiving the same muted response, I decided to make for the door. Well, nobody said mutual understanding was going to be easy.  As I was stepping outside, I went in for a high-five with a passing Baha’i, but he just flinched and ran away. What gives with these people?

• http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/20/hassan-rouhani-dear-diary-theres-no-reason-we-cant-sit-down-and-rap-now-whos-up-for-some-hacky-sack/

Wife of Jailed Pastor Asks Rowhani for Husband’s Freedom

Naghmeh Abedini hand delivered letter to Rowhani delegation on Monday

http://freebeacon.com/wife-of-jailed-pastor-asks-rowhani-for-husbands-freedom/

Saeed Abedini / Facebook

BY: Adam Kredo Follow @Kredo0
September 24, 2013 3:25 pm
The wife of an American Christian pastor imprisoned in Iran confronted Iranian President Hassan Rowhani to lobby for her ailing husband’s release on Monday in New York City.
Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of jailed Pastor Saeed Abedini, confronted Rowhani and his United Nations delegation in the lobby of New York’s One U.N. hotel, where both parties are staying.
Abedini delivered to the Iranian delegation a written plea from her husband, who has been imprisoned in Iran for nearly a year after being arrested for promoting his Christian faith and helping orphans.
He has been sentenced to serve an eight-year term.
Abedini’s wife intercepted Rowhani and his delegation as they made their way to the hotel’s lobby elevators.