The news is still sketchy, but in an ambiguously-written news piece by ISNA, it appears that at least one Iranian university which teaches music to its students has been instructed not to teach any western musical instruments to their students in the new academic year. Such a decision, if true, will mean that Iran will no longer train musicians who can be members of large orchestras like this.

Photo by Parastou Soleimani, from here.

http://farsnews.com/plarg.php?nn=392517&st=785098

http://www.irna.com/fa/Photo/80588782/%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4_%D8%AA%D8%B5%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C/%D8%AE%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AF_%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C_%DA%AF%D9%84_%D9%88_%DA%AF%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%87

http://isna.ir/page/image-report.xhtml?newsCode=91122315532&lang=fa&start=1&index=8&t=%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%DA%AF%D9%84-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A2%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%86%D9%88-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86#25

Photo by Bahar

I saw this photo here: http://9gag.com/gag/6395151?ref=fb.s

It reminded me of this Siavash Kasrai poem:

• You are the tall figure of desire, O' tree
  
  The sky embraces you at all times
  You are tall, O' tree
  
  Your hands are full of stars and your soul full of spring
  You are beautiful, O' tree
  
  When winds make a nest in your tangled leaves,
  When winds comb your green hair,
  You are fantastic, O' tree
  
  When the wild fingers of rain grasp you,
  In its cold feast
  You are the sad, sweet-singing musician, O' tree
  
  Under your feet,
  Here is night and night-struck people whose eyes
  Have not seen the day
  How is it that you have seen the day?
  How is it that you have seen the sun?
  And you are amazingly gazing at them, O' tree!
  
  As you bound the earthly people by a thousand strings,
  Don't be scared of thunder,
  Don't be scared of lightning.
  You will prevail, O' tree
  
  Don't rebel, O'scared tree that like our hope,
  You are with us, but still lonely, O' tree.

By Siavash Kasrai