I'm having trouble getting outrageously outraged about Obama's videotaped Iran speech. It's not like he surprised anyone by indicating that he's going to trade concessions for the appearance of peace in our time. And if you get past the cringe-inducing "please be my friend" stuff, there were even some interesting moves being made in the background. Plus it was a pro forma New Years greeting that even Israel gives. So whatever.

But for the record: Iran wants him to know that his call for "mutural respect" is being turned down on account of insufficient obsequiousness...

After US president Barack Obama's historic video message to Iran where he called for a "new beginning" between both countries, the government of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the US to take action to change what it called "past mistakes". "Mr. Obama has talked of change, but has taken no practical measures to redress America's past mistakes in Iran," said Ahmadinejad's media advisor Ali-Akbar Javanfekr, quoted by semi-official news channel PressTV. Javanfekr also reminded the US of what he called past mistakes, including the war in Iraq. "Our people will never forget the shooting down of an Iranian passenger airliner over the Persian Gulf by a US warship," he said.

... and that under no circumstances are they going to be giving up their nukes:

Mr Obama sent Iran an unprecedented videotaped message offering a fresh start in diplomatic engagement after decades of US hostility to the Islamic Republic. He went further than he has since taking office on Jan 20 in extending an olive branch to Tehran, which has been locked in bitter disputes with Washington over Iranian nuclear ambitions and support for militants operating in Iraq and Afghanistan. In an unusually swift reaction to Mr Obama's overture, Aliakbar Javanfekr, an aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Iran welcomed "the interest of the American government to settle differences". But he said that the US government "should realise its previous mistakes and make an effort to amend them".

Which is a shame because I really had my hopes up this time.

Javanfekr went on to say that if Obama really wants to be friends then he has to sell out Israel because - quote - "supporting Israel is not a friendly gesture." Which, if you accept the mullahs' premise that anti-Jewish genocide is good thing, is a fair point.

References and previously after the jump...