Region | Iran
Ahmadinejad urges Obama to change US regional policy
Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated US President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday and called for "fundamental and fair" changes to US policies in the region, Iran's official IRNA news agency said.
- Agencies
- Published: 09:23 November 7, 2008
Tehran: Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated US President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday and called for "fundamental and fair" changes to US policies in the region, Iran's official IRNA news agency said.
"I congratulate you for attracting a majority of votes ... I hope you will prefer real public interests and justice to the endless demands of a selfish minority," Ahmadinejad told Obama in a statement published by IRNA.
Iranian officials have said Obama's election victory on Tuesday showed the American people's desire for fundamental change in domestic and foreign policy from the policies of President George W. Bush, who labelled Iran part of an "axis of evil."
"The great Iranian nation welcomes real, fundamental and fair changes in America's behavior and policies, particularly in the Middle East region," Ahmadinejad said.
Ahmadinejad said he hoped Obama would put an end to the United States' "war-oriented" policies.
"Other nations expect war-oriented policies, occupation, bullying ... and imposing discriminatory policies on them to be replaced by those advocating respect ... and non-interference in other countries' state matters," he said.
Obama has said he would toughen sanctions on Iran but has also held out the possibility of direct talks to resolve rows, including Tehran's nuclear dispute with the West.
The president-elect, like Bush, has not ruled out military action although he has criticised the outgoing administration for not pushing for more diplomacy and engagement with Iran.
Tehran has warned its response to any military action would be tough and would include targeting US interests and America's ally Israel.
Iran's Prosecutor-General Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dori- Najafabadi called on Obama on Thursday to show goodwill and remove sanctions against the Islamic Republic, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
"Through the lifting of the past government's cruel sanctions against Iran, Barack Obama can demonstrate his goodwill to the Iranian people," he said.
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