Obama's weak-kneed response to Iran's continued provocation disturbs many

Just prior to his historic but meaningless visit to Cuba, U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged Iran's celebration the first time in recent history, saying he welcomed the opportunity for a positive future in Iranian-American relations. “Now for the first time in decades, there is a chance for different future,” Obama said in a video message congratulate the Iranians as they began celebrating Nowruz, their New Year.

But while Obama appears to cling to his vision of a new Iran and better relations with the Islamic regime, Iranian Navy Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayyari responded to the holiday by saying Iran plans to further strengthen its naval power in the new Iranian year. "We are [planning to] increase our military and combat power by training [sic] human resources in the new year," Sayyari said, addressing a ceremony in the Southern city of Khorramshahr. On Saturday, Obama said the White House would be commemorating Nowruz and the beginning of the spring season by serving special Iranian dishes and welcoming to the White House “Iranian-American friends from across the United States”. Obama then recited lines from Iranian poet Fereydoun Moshiri on the occasion of Nowruz in which opening of windows to breathe fresh spring air is recommended. "Reportedly, the Washington press corps swooned over Obama's use of such an academic approach to carrying on relations with a barbaric country that frequently kills or executes Christians, Jews, females and gays," said former counter-terrorism analyst Barry Seaman While the U.S. president said he has used the occasion of Nowruz to tell Iranians how a new window can be opened in the relations between Iran and U.S., the Iranian admiral said that an order has been issued from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei that will have an impact on Iran's future. The Ayatollah's order includes the building of different state-of-the-art weapons and equipment as well as continued deployment in the international waters.

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Obama also bragged about the face-to-face negotiations between Iranian diplomats and Secretary of State John Kerry's team to reach the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and P5+1 group of world powers. Obama continues to call it a historical nuclear deal despite Republicans and Democrats calling the agreement a flop.. The U.S. president said, "Iran fulfilled key commitments under the agreement to ensure the world that its nuclear program follows peaceful purposes, and that the global community removed the sanctions against Iran in return so that Iran could have access to its blocked assets abroad." Sadly, Obama didn't mention exactly what commitments Iran has fulfilled. "In relevant remarks earlier this month, Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem Biqam announced that Iran is moving ahead with a large scale navy modernization program for wider presence in the high seas," according to Fars News Agency. "Unfortunately, while Obama takes his bows for doing absolutely nothing to end the suffering of the Cuban people and for a nuclear agreement with Iran that's been the butt of gallows-humor jokes, he appears oblivious to the escalation in global jihad that's spreading to numerous countries especially in Africa. And his wannabe successor Hillary Clinton appears to be even less interested in world events as she belly-aches about the war on women and Planned Parenthood," said political strategist Michael Baker.