Inauguration in Washington DC; Live from IRIB

In Tehran, for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian state-run TV broadcasted a U.S. presidential inauguration and interviewed Iranians after the Obama speech.

A middle-aged man wearing a simple jacket said he was not surprised that Mr. Obama had not specifically mentioned the Israeli offensive against Gaza.

But another younger Tehrani said,"at least he is not aggressive in his talk as Bush used to be."

The two countries have had no diplomatic relations for three decades and some Iranians hope that their government will have a harder time demonizing an Obama administration than the Bush team.

Full Coverage on how World reacts to the new U.S. president

Ahmadinejad is dreaming of President Mc Cain!

The election is taking place in US. Its winner would lead great impact on the world.

That's true to consider the job as the most powerful seat in the world. But this time is different and the 44th US president would even affect on who would be the next Iranian president.

Ahmadinejad is suffering his worse days. Any of economic and political problems his cabinet is suffering now was enough to disappoint any other cabinet. Though he might be the first incumbent candidate who would lose.

The affect might not be so clear now but it's easy to assume that Mc Cain would make the situation a little better for Ahmadinejad and his supporters. He would hang on supposed "President" Mc Cain's tough words to justify his own aggression and annoy to the western world.

Ahmadinejad and other Iranian hardliners would enjoy such phrases that "the enemy is waiting for our weak and for tolerance to beat us".

Iranians riveted to U.S. presidential race

TEHRAN | With only nine months to go before their own presidential voting, Iranians appear far more interested in the U.S. election than in their own, and many think the U.S. choice will deeply affect Iran.

Iranian newspapers and even the state-run Iranian broadcasting network - which typically cover only negative stories in the United States, such as school shootings and broken families - are writing and broadcasting about the U.S. campaign nearly every day and competing to report the latest events.

The Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, has plenty of supporters here, but some Iranians prefer Republican Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Even Mr. Ahmadinejad, who is expected to run for re-election in June, has had trouble hiding his interest in the U.S. campaign. He told reporters at the United Nations last month that he wanted to meet with both U.S. presidential candidates - an offer that neither Mr. McCain nor Mr. Obama accepted.

Six months ago, Mr. Ahmadinejad expressed doubts that a black man could be elected president of the United States. As the senator from Illinois has moved forward in the polls, however, Mr. Ahmadinejad has tried to appear balanced, stressing that the presidency is an American choice.

His caution is based in part on historical disappointments here about U.S. elections.

In 1980, while Iranian students were holding 52 Americans hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini said President Carter would "take to his grave" his wish to be re-elected.

Furious at Mr. Carter for supporting the ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and giving him refuge in the United States, Ayatollah Khomeini refused to release the U.S. hostages until after U.S. elections, which helped Ronald Reagan win the White House.

Afterward, Iranian leaders realized that Mr. Reagan was no kinder to Iran than the Carter administration and that U.S. policy toward Iran was largely bipartisan.

Still, Iranians have trouble hiding their interest in the U.S. vote.

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Ahmadinejad sidesteps problems inside Iran

Nosrat Azizi, a carpenter who built most of Tehran's old wooden ballot boxes, said he voted in 1997 for Mr. Khatami and in 2005 for Mr. Ahmadinejad, who was then considered the anti-establishment candidate.

"I have always voted for reform and for good change, to make the situation better," he said.

Asked whether he would vote for Mr. Ahmadinejad again, however, Mr. Azizi said he would not bother because "for sure he would be president. All the presidents have won their second rounds." Still, he didn't rule out participating if Mr. Khatami or someone like him runs.

"I've heard that Khatami is going to nominate himself," Mr. Azizi said. "There are also some other names. I would vote only if there was someone better than Ahmadinejad.

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