Iranians celebrating Persian New Year do so under financial strain deliberately exacerbated by Western powers, which those very powers, in turn, blame on Iran’s government for making necessary, just like back in the 1950’s. Happy Norouz!

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Now Rouz, the Iranian New Year’s Day, falls on March 21, the first day of spring*—an arrangement seemingly designed for the maximum in joy and optimism. Last year Iran celebrated Now Rouz in high hopes of a rich and endlessly prosperous future, for on that New Year’s Eve the Iranian Parliament, under the guidance of wily Premier Mohammed Mossadegh, voted to nationalize Iran’s oil.

This week, as Now Rouz rolled around again, Iranians were in full control and possession of their oil but did not know how to refine it, and no tankers called at Abadan. A commission of experts from the World Bank, disheartened by Mossadegh’s fanatic unreasonableness, prepared to leave Teheran, taking with it any hope of an immediate solution of bankrupt Iran’s oil problem. With no money to spend, shoppers gazed longingly into the windows of Teheran’s shops and glumly wished one another a happy Now Rouz.

* On that day, says Persian mythology, the Sun God Mithras triumphed over winter darkness.