Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 7, 1989

In the reports, Lebanon's issues are at the top, and my role in calming the crisis and hoping for Iran to solve the problem has a high contribution. I arrived at the parliament at half past nine. Mr. [Isa] Kalantari, Minister of Agriculture, came. He described self-sufficiency programs and problems and needs. He hopes to be self-sufficient in the next five years, but I think he is too optimistic.

Mr. [Bijan Namdar] Zanganeh, Minister of Energy, came. He explained the programs in dam construction, power plant construction, water containment and transfer, canal construction, the quality of using underground water and preventing the salinization of fresh water that passes through salty lands.

They reported that [Lady Khadijah Mirdamadi] the mother of Ayatollah Khamenei has died; I sent my condolences to the media. Mr. [Ishaq] Jahangiri, the representative of Jiroft, came and talked about the cabinet and the economic plan. Mr. [Gholamreza] Aghazadeh [Oil Minister] spoke on the phone about the progress of negotiations with the Japanese and Koreans and Ayatollah Khamenei's approval for pre-sale of oil for urgent works. In the evening Mr. [Mohammed] Saeedi Kia, Minister of Roads [and Transportation] came. He told about the plan of roads, railways and the purchase of airplanes from the Soviet Union and the need to transfer shipping to the Ministry of Roads and announced the needs.

Mr. [Serajuddin] Kazrooni, Minister of Housing [and Urban Development] came. He explained the housing program: the creation of five hundred thousand housing units every year and the creation of new towns and cities by preparing land and public facilities and infrastructure works using the price of land, which is about one hundred billion tomans annually, and the quality of providing water and electricity and construction materials and the needs and bottlenecks.

Mr. [Akbar] Turkan [head of the Defense Industries Organization] came. He talked about the military industries and aircraft and tank manufacturing and the integration of the military industries and the ministries of the Corps and Defense and Reliance and expressed his interest to stay in his current position because of the mastery he has gained. I worked in my office until nine o'clock and saw the reports. The whispers of payment for our frozen assets in America are rising in the western media. I came home I ate dinner and slept.