Christian broadcasting ministry SAT-7 PARS has echoed US President Barack Obama’s call for “New beginnings” in the Islamic state of Iran.

In a videotaped message to coincide with Nowruz, the Persian New year, President Obama said, "The promise of opportunity for our children; security for our families; progress for our communities; and peace between nations. Those are shared hopes. Those are common dreams."

Obama’s stance on Iran has been much softer than that of previous President George W Bush, whose administration took a hard line against the Islamic nation for its nuclear programme and its alleged support for Islamic insurgents in Iraq.

David Harder, of SAT-7 has also said that the new year is a time for Iranians to think of “new beginnings” in a personal as well as a political sense, according to Mission Network News.

Harder said, “At this time when many Persians are celebrating the beginning of a new year, it's a time when people can think about new beginnings. We know that they are looking, and churches in Iran are there to provide hope for people who come. Through our broadcasts, we're able to reach millions of people with the good news of Jesus."

Harder said that millions of young people, who make up the largest demographic in the country, were disillusioned with life. As a result many people were, he said, turning to drugs and in some cases suicide – but increasingly people are looking for hope in Christ.

While Christianity is legal in Iran, public evangelism is not. The government often spies on Christian organisations and groups and Christians often face discrimination in education, employment and property ownership, as well as arrests, imprisonment and even death.

Harder said, "We need to be praying for the church in Iran that they will have freedom to worship, that the church leaders will be protected, and for our programmes. People can be praying that our producers will make the kind of programmes that answer questions that people have and really provide the tools to help Christians living there be able to walk the way Jesus wants them to walk and live."