Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 16, 1992

Earlier, Mr. [Alauddin] Boroujerdi, [Deputy Minister for Asia and the Pacific] informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Afghan government had fallen and [Mohammad] Najib had taken refuge in the UN office. Now Najib and [Bennan] Swan, [the UN representative in Afghanistan] are there and they are stuck, because Kabul airport has fallen into the hands of the Mujahideen and our representative is there.

They say Iran supports the Mujahideen. We have been asked to help solve the problem. The Pakistani ambassador is also there. I told them to deny our support and make a statement that we are against internal group conflicts and convulsions and we want a united Afghanistan and groups should not demand more points than they deserve; For now, Persian speakers are ahead in the north and in Kabul.

School principals brought brilliant talents. Mr. [Javad] Ajehi reported and I encouraged them. The Expediency Assembly met and resolved the legal problems of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. By five o'clock in the evening, I did the work and came home.

Some media outlets in Arab countries have made noise that Iran is expelling the Arabs of Sharjah from Abu Musa Island. They are afraid of our policy of restrictions. I told Mr. [Ali] Falahian to follow up on the events in Shiraz and Isfahan University.

Mr. [Hassan] Rouhani, [Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council], reported the situation in Afghanistan by telephone and said the UN had asked us to help rescue Swan and Najib, who are trapped. I consulted with Ayatollah Khamenei on this issue and told Mr. Rouhani that while emphasizing that we do not have major influence and that the UN office and even Pakistan can act better than us, we are ready to help with their own responsibility and will not accept Najib independently unless he wants to take refuge in the UN representative. He must leave Iran.

Radio America has now reported that Najibullah has been arrested in Kabul.