Carter suspends sanctions despite tough Iran stand

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 8

Carter suspends sanctions despite tough Iran stand

NZPA-Reuter

Teheran

President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr made clear that there will be no imminent transfer to Government control of the American hostages in Teheran and that the United States must remain silent on the issue if such a transfer is to take place.

President Bani-Sadr said in a speech to the nation that he was speaking in accordance with a decision of the ruling Revolutionary Council. He said: “If the United States issues an official declaration and announces that it will not, until the formation of the (Iranian) Parliament and its decision on the hostages, make propaganda claims, speak, or instigate on the issue, the Revolutionary Council will agree to take control of the hostages.” Despite the apparently uncompromising tone of the speech, the White House said President Carter was deferring sanctions against Iran because of what it called “a positive statement” made by Mr Bani-Sadr. Before the speech, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral (Dr Kurt Waldheim) had said in an interview that new United States sanctions against Iran could endanger the • lives of the American hostages and would seriously affect international efforts to free them.

The Iranian President’s speech was. delivered after a day of mounting hopes that a breakthrough in the crisis might be imminent. Rumours of a possible breakthrough began. circulating after Mr Bani-Sadr met three of the militant students for talks.

But the hopes fell after the Teheran newspaper, “Kayhan,” published a blistering attack on the. United States by Ayatollah Khomeiny from an advance copy of a speech to be delivered by the Ayatollah’s son yesterday. The newspaper quoted the speech as reaffirming that the final decision on the hostages would be made by the Iranian Parliament, which has not yet been elected. “Kayhan” quoted Ayatollah Khomeiny’s address as saying: “Mr Carter must realise that by sending the deposed Shah to Egypt and repenting past mistakes and confessing American treacheries against deprived nations, including Iran, and at the same time asking me to find a solution to the problem of the nest of spies (the United States Embassy) he is going the wrong way about things.” This was apparently a reference to a message the Iranian authorities say was received from President Carter last week but whose existence Washington has denied. In the alleged message, President Carter was said to have acknowledged the United States’ past mistakes in Iran and appealed to Ayatollah Khomeiny to find a solution to the crisis. The text of the Ayatollah's speech said: “A solution to this problem is not possible by anybody but the noble nation of Iran and the Islamic Assembly which is derived from the will of the people. “He (Mr Carter) must know that supporting the deposed Shah after all those crimes and treacheries and plunder has not left any opportunity for a so-called respectable solution.” The. future parliament, which Ayatollah Khomeiny

has decreed will decide the hostages’ fate, appears un ; likely to debate the issue before the middle of June. In his address, Ayatollah Khomeiny accuses Mr Carter of exacerbating the problem by allowing the deposed Shah to go to Egypt, where he has been offered permanent asylum by President Anwar Sadat. “By sending the deposed Shah, the enemy of Islam and Iran, .to an enemy whose shameful actions have frustrated Muslims, a solution has become more difficult,” the text said. Mr Carter had planned to announce a trade embargo and other measures yesterday after conferring with his National Security Council and Congressional leaders, but delayed action in the hope that Iran would move first. The White House spokesman, Jody Powell, continued to insist yesterday that Mr Carter had not communicated with Ayatollah Khomeiny nor had sent, a message to anyone admitting guilt about United States support of the deposed Shah of Iran. Officials said the measures Mr Carter reviewed with his advisers yesterday included: —An embargo on all trade with Iran except for medicine and food. —A reduction in the size of Iran’s diplomatic missions in the United States. -Similar cuts were made at the insistence of the State Department some months ago. —A request to United States allies to take economic measures against Iran even though they are heavily dependent on Iranian oil. Governments of the nine European Common Market countries were reported to have sent identical letters to Iranian leaders urging the release of the hostages.