Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that the new U.S. administration must at least change their interference in world affairs and approach towards Iran.
The United States should change their behavior at least in two way, Ahmadinejad said in a press conference. "One is their interference in world affairs, the other is their approach towards Iran."
He said during the past 30 years, U.S. administration has been taking an hostile attitude towards Iran. "If they want to improve relations between the United States and Iran, they must change it."
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said last week that Iran remained a threat to the United States but Washington must be "willing to initiate diplomacy" with the country.
"We must wait and see and avoid making premature judgement," Ahmadinejad said, adding that Iran must see whether the changes are fundamental, genuine and based on respect.
"The world is changing today," Ahmadinejad said, "If the United States want to change their conditions and solve the problems they are facing, they must change their policies."
He said the U.S. interference must be restricted within the U.S. territory, adding that the Middle East and other parts of the world don't need them.
"The world people have not given the United States the right to judge international affairs," he added.
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said on Sunday that Iran will be one of the biggest challenges that his administration is to face.
After he won presidential elections in November, Obama once said that an international effort must be made to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
The United States, which designated Iran as the world's "most active state sponsor of terrorism," has been accusing Iran of developing secretly nuclear weapons under the cover of civil nuclear program. Iran denies the charges.
(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2009)