Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has criticized US President Barack Obama for his recent comments about post-presidential election protests in Iran.

President Ahmadinejad said the American president had made the mistake of following in the footsteps of certain European countries and his predecessor George W. Bush.

"Our question from Obama is why has he fallen into this trap and repeated the comments that Bush used to make," the Iranian president said on Thursday.

President Ahmadinejad's criticism came after President Obama made a comment about Iran's political climate on Monday, saying, "I am deeply troubled by the violence that I've been seeing on television."

"I think it's important that, moving forward, whatever investigations take place are done in a way that is not resulting in bloodshed and is not resulting in people being stifled in expressing their views," he added.

The Obama White House has been looking at ways to create a change in tone and adopt a manner different from the Bush administration's hostile one with regards to Iran.

With his slogan of "change", President Obama has pledged to extend a hand of peace to Iran if it "unclenched its fist".

Ahmadinejad questioned Obama's motive for making the comments about Iran, arguing that it contradicted the American slogan of change.

"If your approach is the same as before what is there left to talk about?...this attitude will only make you another Bush in the eyes of the people," Ahmadinejad said with reference to Washington's call for holding talks with Tehran.

CS/HGH