>> anthony: chelo kebab wouldn't be complete without persian rice.with saffron, the rice in this country is like nothing you've ever had. >> mahdi: so tony, first you should take the butter, and put it on your rice. bon appetit! >> anthony: bon appetit. this is good. >> ali: it's good! >> mahdi: it's very good, yeah. ♪ >> anthony: it was a hopeful time when i arrived in iran. a window had opened. there had been a slight loosening of restrictions since the election of president hassan rouhani and there was optimism for a deal that could lead to an easing of crippling economic sanctions imposed because of iran's continued nuclear program. trade restrictions that have been very, very difficult for everyone. but there's a push happening between opposing factions in the government. on one hand, iranians are the descendants of ancient persia, an empire of poetry, flowers, a highly influential culture that goes back thousands of years. but the ruling clerical and military class are, at best, ambivalent; at worst, actively hostile to much of that tradition.