Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 2, 1986

Today, I was at home until four in the afternoon. I went to the president's office. I participated in the "Labik Ba Imam" seminar, which was organized with the presence of Friday imams of the provincial centers, governors and army commanders to support the war. They had doubts. I gave a speech and cleared those doubts. I said that the goal is to organize the deployment of popular forces and popular and government facilities in the service of war. They wanted more powers and more facilities for the Corps.

We were the guests of Ayatollah Khamenei on the night of the military leaders. Mr. Ahmad did not come. The suggestion of Oman's foreign minister regarding America's message regarding our help to free the American hostages in Lebanon in exchange for the need for weapons was raised. Although we accept the main point of the matter, because it is going on from another phase, it was decided not to do it in another way. The president emphasized the need for America not to despair, and I explained the progress of the work being done through [Mohsen] Kangerlu, and it was approved. It was decided that Mr. Vahidi, who is in charge of IRGC intelligence, will talk to four Americans who will soon come to Iran for this purpose.

Mr. [Mohsen] Rezaei informed that some Iraqi soldiers in the front have become refugees with us. They say that Iraq is preparing to attack next Monday in Faw region. He said that our forces have attacked in a limited way on the northern front tonight.

Mr. Hayeri Shirazi consulted on the issues of Shiraz. I said that he should submit to the opinions of Ayatollah Montazeri and try to understand with his rivals. Imam Juma Zanjan insisted on my trip to Zanjan and wanted an independent army for Zanjan province. At the end of the night, I had a radio and television interview.