The President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded Wednesday to the attempt of US President Barack Obama to reach out to the Muslim world by demanding an apology for past US "crimes" committed against Iran, BBC reported.

On Tuesday, the new US President used his first formal TV interview since taking office to extend an olive branch to the Muslim countries by telling them Americans were not their enemy.

Speaking to the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya network, Obama reiterated his Inauguration speech when he said that the US would extend the hand of friendship to Iran if it "unclenched its fist".

"The US stood against the Iranian people in the past 60 years. Those who speak of change must apologize to the Iranian people and try to repair their past crimes, " Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said as response.

"First there is a fundamental and effective change... The second ... is a change of tactics. It is very clear that, if the meaning of change is the second one, this will soon be revealed," the Iranian President said.

Ahmadinejad further criticized US support for Israel and demanded that Obama withdraws US troops from their bases around the world.

"If you talk about change it must put an end to the US military presence in the world, withdraw your troops and take them back inside your borders," Ahmadinejad is quoted as saying.

The comments are the first Iranian statement on the US since Obama took office eight days ago.

Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama after his election victory in November but the message was disapproved of in Iran and received a cool response from Obama.

Relations between Washington and Tehran hit bottom lows in the last few years over US and UN attempts to curb Iran's nuclear program to not allow the country to build nuclear weapons. Tehran insists the program only aims at developing civilian nuclear power.

The US broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979, after students stormed the US embassy in Tehran when the Islamic revolution overthrew the US-backed Shah.

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