‘Oilfields will go if U.S. attacks’

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 1

‘Oilfields will go if U.S. attacks’

NZPA-Reuter Tokyo The Iranian Oil Minister (Mr Aii-Akbar Moinfart said in an interview published in Tokyo yesterday that Iran’ would destroy all its oilfields if the United States took military action to free hostages at its Teheran Embassy. “If they (the United States) take military action, we will destroy all oilfields with our own hands without fail,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with Japan’s masscirculation daily, "Mainichi Shimbun.” The Minister added: "I don’t think President

Carter would be so foolish. . . . All the 35 million Iranian people are willing to die for the cause of their fatherland.” Mr Moinfar also said that Iran had decided to cut back its oil production. But he did not say by how much or when. He said Iran’s daily production was now averaging 3.5 million barrels, of which 700,000 barrels were for domestic consumption. Before the February revolution toppled the Shah, Iran was producing between 5.5 million and 6 million barrels of oil a day. Mr Moinfar was quoted as saying that the 3.5

million-barrel level was sufficient for domestic consumption and to “relieve” industrialised countries. A report from Iran yesterday said the airspace over the holy city of Qom, where Iran’s revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini lives, had been closed to all flights, the army commander, General Azizzollah Fallahi, was quoted as saying. Prior permission was also needed for helicopter flights by Iranian officials to Qom,’ 135 km south of Teheran, General Fallahi told a mosque meeting, according to the “Homhorive Islami” newspaper.