Tehran  - Tehran on Monday called on US president-elect Barack Obama to reject the hostile policies adopted by previous US administrations against Iran and instead implement his "change" slogan.

"The previous US policies, including carrots and sticks and incentives, are unacceptable, futile and have de facto failed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told reporters in Tehran.

He was referring to an interview Obama gave to the US broadcast network NBC on Sunday, when the president-elect said there would be tougher sanctions against the Islamic state if Western incentives and demands on suspending nuclear enrichment were rejected again.

"Mr Obama has promised (in his election campaign) change and mentioned the slogan 'Yes We Can,' therefore we and the rest of the world expect change and not the same policies and demands as in the past," Ghashghavi said.

The spokesman added that the West should "once and for all" acknowledge Iran's legitimate right to pursue its nuclear programme, in return for which Tehran would endeavour to ease Western concerns about the civil and peaceful nature of its nuclear projects.

He said even the US press has recently acknowledged that the policies of threats and sanctions against Iran have had no results and needed to be amended.

"The US can choose the course of confrontation or that of consensus, Inshallah (God's will) the change slogan mentioned by Obama will eventually be implemented," Ghashghavi said.

The US severed ties with Iran nearly three decades ago and has maintained a hostile stance, with Washington classifying Iran as part of a so-called "axis of evil." The US has accused the Islamic state trying to acquire nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism, while Tehran has called the US the "Great Satan" and enemy of Islam and Muslims worldwide.

All efforts by the last three Iranian presidents to improve bilateral ties have failed, but there are high hopes in Iran that a new era could start after Obama takes office next month. (dpa)