Isfahan, April 8, IRNA -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Iran was still awaiting real and true changes in the attitudes and conduct of the US administration.

Making the remarks at a public gathering in this central Iranian city on Wednesday during his 55th provincial visit, he pointed to the message of US President Barack Obama to the Iranian nation on the occasion of Norouz, the new Iranian year, and said the Iranian nation will welcome any hand extended towards it with sincerity and respect.

He said that if the nation sensed that the hand extended to it just pretended to be friendly but lacked honesty in essence, then it would react to it the way it did to offers made by former US president George W Bush.

Addressing his American counterpart, the Iranian president recommended him to act rather than offer mere rhetory since words would change nothing.

Referring to parts of President Obama's message on the need for Iran to attain its due position in the international arena without attaining nuclear technology, he noted that the statement echoed the same feeling Iran has had in the past three decades during which it kept asking the US about its reasons for stockpiling nuclear arms and trying to solve issues through military means.

Stressing that previous US administrations never allowed the rightful voice of nations to be heard, he told Obama to really change his ways and language if he was truly after making changes.

He said Iran that has never defined any national interests for itself in other parts of the world while the US has undertaken numerous military operations in the Middle East to safeguard its 'national' interests.

The president further said that some American officials have recently said that Iran could have nuclear technology for peaceful purposes but is not allowed to seek nuclear bombs. "To this, I say: the Iranian nation has never sought nuclear weapons because it believes that those who stockpile nuclear bombs and work hard to keep them for themselves are mentally handicapped in the game of politics since they have failed to realize that the era of bombs, military actions and threats is long over."

Stressing that the issue of nuclear energy is a done story for the Iranian nation, he addressed American officials, saying: "One of the most important things which has to happen is that US authorities should change their tone when talking to nations because you are in no way entitled to determine nations' lifestyles; the most you are allowed to do is to define good and evil for your own nation."

President Ahmadinejad further pointed to the superior position of the Iranian nation in the global arena and said almost all US foreign relations and most of the external relations of many world countries were determined according to the way Iran was dealing with the US.

He believed that the fate of George W. Bush has a lesson for all world leaders who are accustomed to selfish and domineering attitudes because if they fail to change their behaviors they will inevitably face the same destiny.

... Payvand News - 04/08/09 ... --