Iran seeks big changes on US foreign policy

THE Iranian president called for “profound changes” in US foreign policy yesterday, saying the Islamic Republic would welcome a real and fundamental shift from the new American administration.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s comments in the western city of Kermanshah come as President Barack Obama indicated a new willingness to reach out to Muslims and the importance of engaging with Iran, a country the Bush administration often singled out as the most dangerous in the region.

Without mentioning Obama by name, Ahmadinejad repeatedly referred to those who want to bring “change,” a word used often in Obama’s election campaign, and indicated that Iran would be looking to see if there would be substantive differences in US policy.