Office of the Historian

13. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State1

Tehran, April 8, 1964, 5 p.m.

890. Embtel 882.2 Further background on release of Khomeini, obtained from Prime Minister:

1.
Govt made clear to Khomeini that if he engages in political activities, he will be re-arrested. Khomeini allegedly promised behave.
2.
Mansur allowed it to be understood he had had difficulty persuading Shah that Khomeini should be freed.
3.
PM felt it was desirable free Khomeini now, rather than just before Moharam, because later release might be interpreted as due to fear of rioting similar to last year’s.
4.
Govt has “taken steps” with other leading mullahs, notably Milani, Qomi and Shariat-Madari, to prevent Khomeini’s position being strengthened as result his release.

Holmes
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 IRAN. Confidential. Repeated to Baghdad and Karachi.↩
  2. Document 12.↩