Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 31, 1989

I did office work until ten in the morning. The results of Iran's elections are discussed in the reports and are usually treated positively. The flood of congratulations from international and domestic personalities is flowing. The issue of the kidnapping of Sheikh Obeid and Colonel Higgins is of interest. The organization of the underprivileged in the world has announced that if Israel does not release [Sheikh Abdul Karim] Obeid [Imam Juma Jabsheit] by noon, [William] Higgins [an American marine colonel who worked for the United Nations and was held hostage by the organization of the underprivileged in Lebanon] will be killed.

Dr. Velayati informed us that the United States has informed us through the United Nations and UN agents that if Higgins is harmed, he will crush the supporters of Hezbollah. He wanted me to warn the Lebanese to keep the issue quiet. I consulted with Ayatollah Khamenei. Their opinion is that we should not interfere in their work, it is not our concern; I transferred to Dr. Velayati.

Timsar [Mansour] Sattari [Army Air Force Commander] came. Nahaja's opinion about the items of weapons discussed for purchase from the Soviet Union. The experts are back; He relied on the MiG-29, Sukhoi-24, and Sam-5 aircraft, and especially the MiG-29 technology. Mr. [Gharban Ali] Salehabadi, the representative of Mashhad, came and criticized the extremists and expressed his loyalty and asked that we not leave their group without support in Mashhad in the new conditions. They have already been involved with Mr. [Abbas Waez] Tabasi [representative of the religious jurist in Khorasan and the guardianship of Astan Quds Razavi]. I said that I request Mr. Tabasi to have a paternal attitude towards the two streams. He commented on other ministers in order to strengthen the radical line.

Mr. Dr. [Alireza] Farzad, representative of Taft, came. He emphasized that either Dr. Marandi [Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education] should stay or Dr. [Mustafa] Moin should be in his place. Mr. [Mohammed] Shariati came from the Ministry of Interior and recommended that Mr. [Syed Ali Akbar] stay in Mohteshmi and had recommendations to support the radical line.

Mr. Burqai, one of Qomi's merchants, came. He talked about his role in the 15th of Khordad and the campaigns and appealed to the business to remove the restrictions. Behzad Nabavi came in the afternoon. Reported the trip to the Soviet Union and the agreements. There is no agreement on the quality of payments and the price of weapons is expensive. In the evening, we did the last physiotherapy session, but I have not been treated.

Mr. [Majid] Ghasemi [Chairman of the Central Bank] came. He talked about the currency situation and brought a plan to provide currency and activate the factories. Mr. [Mohammed] Zahiri came. I talked to him about taking over one of the other ministries. His opinion is that he should either stay in the Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephone or be transferred to Naft. Commented on other ministers and programs. I worked in my office until 9 o'clock at night.

The Lebanese have announced that they have executed Colonel Higgins; It seems that this person had a stroke and died. American President Bush left his trip halfway and returned to Washington and invited the National Security Council to make a decision.

I came home at night. He has seen the chastity house that has been planned for us in the prime minister's region, but he has some opinions. The security problem of Jamaran has not yet been resolved after the Imam's death, and it is natural that protection cannot remain the same as the presence of the Imam, and it is costly, and people's trips to visit the Daftar and Hosseiniyeh of Jamaran are naturally more disorderly.