Iran says ready for fair talks, wants real U.S. change

10/02/2009| IslamWeb

The Iranian president said on Tuesday that Iran would welcome a fundamental change in approach from the United States and was ready for dialogue provided talks were based on mutual respect.

U.S. President Barack Obama said in his first White House news conference on Monday that he saw the possibility of diplomatic openings with Iran in the months ahead, marking a break with his predecessor George W. Bush.

"The new U.S. administration has announced that they want to produce change and pursue the course of dialogue," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a rally to mark the 30th anniversary of a revolution that led to hostile relations with Washington.

"It is quite clear that real change must be fundamental and not tactical. It is clear the Iranian nation welcomes real changes," he said, adding: "The Iranian nation is ready to hold talks but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect."

Iran celebrates the victory of the revolution on the 22nd of the Iranian month of Bahman, which this year falls on February 10. That date in 1979 marked the collapse of the last government of the U.S. backed shah, who had left Iran in January.

Later that same year, students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and then held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Washington broke diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives for an official meeting with Samir Qantar of Lebanon in Tehran February 9, 2009.

Reuters