Iran hopeful on Obama

TEHRAN, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Tehran said it was hopeful the next U.S. presidential administration would change course in national security policy and end regional aggressions.

Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham said the overwhelming majority by which the American voters elected Democratic Sen. Barack Obama showed most had rejected the policies of "hatred" embraced by U.S. President Bush, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported Thursday.

Elham called on Obama to consider the financial strain the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan imposed on the United States and urged the president-elect to respect the rights of all nations when considering the direction of his administration's policy.

Meanwhile, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, foreign policy and national security chairman of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, told lawmakers Thursday U.S. foreign policy under the Bush administration was a massive failure, adding it was largely under the influence of the "Zionist lobbies."

Boroujerdi said it was duplicitous for U.S. officials to raise the issue of moving toward restoring diplomatic ties with Iran while simultaneously trying to topple the current Iranian regime.