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STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Iran's foreign minister said Friday that the United States should conduct a "serious review" of its foreign policy after the presidential election — a signal that Iran is leaving open the possibility of improved relations with Washington.

The comments by Manouchehr Mottaki — in an interview with The Associated Press — extended no clear offer for greater dialogue and included numerous jabs about the U.S. role in the Middle East and its global standing.

But the undertones of statements are often just as relevant in the nearly three-decade diplomatic freeze between the two nations. Mottaki's suggestion that the November election could signal a new course for U.S. views on the Middle East could also hint that Tehran may be ready to soften its stance.

"We don't want to make a problem for the American presidential candidates, but this election is among a limited number of American presidential elections where foreign policy plays a key role," Mottaki said a day after a U.N. conference on Iraqi reconstruction held outside Stockholm.