Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – January 10, 1991

I woke up at the morning call to prayer and did not sleep again. I listened to BBC radio news and Voice of America; The failure of the Geneva talks has raised the risk of war [in the Persian Gulf region]. The price of shares in the stock market has gone down and the price of oil and gold has gone up. By nine o'clock in the morning, the backlog was done.

Before the meeting with the Iraqi delegation, [Mr. Mohammad Saeedi Kia], Minister of Roads and Transport, Dr. [Hasan] Habibi, [First Vice President] and [Ali Mohammad] Basharti, [Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs] came and gave a report on the negotiations. The Iraqis have asked to leave their passenger planes in our airports and use our support facilities to protect them from the American attack. They have asked [Mr. Abdul Hossein Wahaji], Minister of Commerce, to buy goods for them or bring their goods through Iran; They have postponed the investigation.

The Iraqi delegation came under the chairmanship of Mr. Ezzat Ibrahim. In the official meeting, the negotiations were short and ceremonial. I accepted their request for a private negotiation in the presence of Dr. [Hasan] Habibi, translator and head of my office. He was acting from the position of weakness and submission, and the delegation was trying to prove that they have sincere intentions in the matter of cooperation and peace with us.

Ezzat Ibrahim answered my questions clearly. He said that they have no intention of leaving Kuwait; They consider Kuwait as part of their land. Even after the resolution of the Palestinian issue - assuming the acceptance of America - they are only willing to negotiate about Kuwait and before that, they are not willing to negotiate. They have taken the possibility of war seriously and are ready to defend and think that they will not be defeated; He promised to solve the issue of prisoners. He did not make an explicit request, except for trust and quick movement towards peace and cooperation. He left it to his companions to express their wishes.

The board of trustees of the university witnessed the meeting. We approved the 1970 budget. They reported work. We entrusted the approval of the bylaws to a commission from the board of trustees and approved the new courses.

I worked until five in the afternoon and came home. Mr. [Mustafa Hayeri] Fumani came. informed that the Saudis have expressed their readiness to solve the problems of Fimabin and agree to our demands, and have prepared the text of a joint statement to be published and are ready to come to Iran to finish the work; I informed the leadership, they agree. It was decided to be discussed in the Supreme Council of National Security.