Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 2, 1983

Today I also stayed home and spent most of my time studying books of hadith and jurisprudence. Before noon, my brother Ahmad came. He works for the Sarcheshmeh Copper Company. He explained the situation there. He said that the Yugoslav experts and the East German experts would soon complete and hand over the molybdenum section and the refinery, and that they were negotiating with the Belgians to establish a section that would produce fertilizer from the gases and prevent air pollution. The Americans' plan used cyanide, whereas the Belgians had proposed another method—less harmful but more expensive. He suggested using the Bardsir River and also paying more attention to Sarcheshmeh Copper. For lunch, we bought kebab from outside; it was better than our usual meals.

Mr. Gharazi [Minister of Oil] and Mr. Mohtashami[Pour] [Iran's ambassador to Syria] called. The former wanted fewer concessions to be given to the Syrians, and the latter wanted more concessions and their satisfaction. In the afternoon, Mr. [Ayatollah] Khamenei and Ahmad Agha came to our house. We were supposed to hold a meeting about the confessions of the leaders of the Tudeh Party and future decisions. After the Maghrib prayer, a meeting was held in the Imam's office with the Prime Minister, Mr. [Mousavi] Ardebili, and the commanders of the Revolutionary Guard present. The confessions from two or three days earlier had changed in the new statements, and some information had turned into analysis. These very things increased suspicions about extremism; on the one hand, there were claims of uncovering a coup and ..., and on the other, concerns about creating problems and difficulties for the country and the war; it was decided that they would pursue the matter. They also talked about the war and other things.