194. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iran1
Washington, May 11, 1967, 12:29 p.m.
192135. For Ambassador from the Secretary. Ref: Tehran 4458.2
- 1.
- Please assure Shah on my behalf that no Executive Branch witness before any Congressional forum has made any statement which [Page 363] would in any way detract from our view of the Shah as an ally whose friendship and counsel we highly value and a statesman under whose leadership Iran has made tremendous strides. We greatly admire the progress Iran has made in recent years in economic development and social reform and the leadership Iran has displayed in helping to mitigate international disputes. Executive Branch spokesmen have stated these views frequently on Capitol Hill and elsewhere.
- 2.
- The reason the President invited the Shah to Washington was stated in the President’s letter to him of July 20, 1966.3 That letter spoke of the “continuing comradeship between our two nations,” of “our desire to help Iran,” of our pride in having “contributed to the gathering political and economic strength of Iran under (the Shah’s) wise and skillful leadership.” The President stated that he wanted to meet with the Shah to discuss problems of “common concern” and “to hear directly from (the Shah) more about the heartening economic and social progress Iran has made.” It is in this spirit that we look forward to the Shah’s visit. We sincerely and deeply hope that the Shah will go forward with his plans.
- 3.
- Septel deals with specifics of testimony which has upset Shah.4
Rusk
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 IRAN. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Eliot on May 10, cleared in draft by Rockwell and by Battle, and approved by Rusk.↩
- Document 193.↩
- Document 158.↩
- Telegram 192205 to Tehran, May 11. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 IRAN)↩