Carter aides hint at harder line on Iran

Press, 29 March 1980, Page 8

Carter aides hint at harder line on Iran

NZPA-Reuter Washington. The Carter Administration, faced with a continuing stalemate in the Iran crisis, is gearing, up for new steps to win the release of the 50 Americans being held hostage, the State Department has said.

The department spokesman. Mr Hodding Carter, indicated that, policy decisions had been reached in recent days after an intense' review of a series of policy options. He refused to say what steps were being contemplated, but said: “You ought to be seeing some results in a shorter rather than a longer period.”

The White House press secretary, Mr Jody Powell,

asked to comment on reports that the Iranian Parliament might not consider the hostages’ release before summer, issued a statement saying: “Be-th the Government and the people of the United States have been remarkably patient and understanding about areas of political difficulties in Iran . . . and we would trust and expect that those in Iran not lose sight of that.”

Several factors appear to have prompted the Administration to alter what it has described as a policy of watchful waiting. One is the sense of betrayal over Iran’s inability to carrv out promises it had made to the United Nations

commission which visited Iran this month. The commission returned to New York after a 17-day stay in Teheran without having been able, as promised, to visit the American hostages. The commission’s work is officially described as temporarily suspended but there has been.no indication when it will be able to return to Teheran. In addition, the Iranian authorities have announced a delay in Iran’s Parliamentary run-off elections, meaning that body apparently will not take up the hos-. fage crisis until the (northern) summer.

In Beirut, a member of the United Nations commission which visited Iran was quoted yesterday as saying the busted Shah’s move to Egypt would have adverse, effects on the United States hostages in Teheran.