AP, Berlin, November 24 (excerpts) _ The chief U.S. delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday that the change in administrations in Washington would be a good opportunity for Iran to enter new negotiations to end its uranium enrichment program.

The U.S., Britain and many other Western countries accuse Iran of using its nuclear program as a cover for weapons development _ a claim denied by Tehran, which is under U.N. sanctions over its refusal to cease enriching uranium, an activity that can make both nuclear fuel or fissile warhead material.

With the new administration, Iran should not expect a drastic change in the U.S. position, said Gregory L. Schulte, who was in Berlin to meet with German officials before the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors’ meeting in Vienna on Thursday and Friday.

But Schulte expressed hope Iranian leaders would view the change in leadership at the White House as a new chance.

But Schulte underlined that Obama has echoed President George W. Bush’s stance that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable.

Iran’s relationship with the Bush administration has been marked by conflict. On Friday, Tehran said Bush was “dreaming” of any excuse to give Washington an excuse to provoke confrontation. The U.S. has not ruled out military action unless Iran stops enrichment and heeds other U.N. Security Council demands.