Office of the Historian

215. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iran1

Washington, July 21, 1967, 6:57 p.m.

11341. For Ambassador from the Secretary. Ref: Tehran 403.2 Subject: Senatorial Criticism of Iran.3 In your discussion with Shah of Senatorial criticism of Iran likely be published in next few days, please assure him on my behalf that the Senatorial views expressed do not represent views of executive branch. As the Shah is undoubtedly aware, entire subject US military assistance and sales programs is currently being intensely reviewed by Congress, and Senatorial barbs are aimed at executive branch and not at Iran. You may assure him that we do not like these barbs either. More important, you may assure him that these barbs have in no way diminished the esteem in which we hold the Shah and that we continue to look forward with great pleasure to his forthcoming visit. Our esteem for him and our desire to welcome him to Washington and to seek his counsel have increased in recent weeks as a result of our deep appreciation for Iran’s constructive policies in the Middle Eastern crisis.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 19–8 U.S.-IRAN. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Eliot, cleared by Handley and in substance by Kathryn N. Folger in H, and approved by Rusk.↩
  2. Dated July 22. (Ibid.)↩
  3. The State Department Activities Report in the President’s Evening Reading on July 19 stated that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee intended to release on July 24 testimony given before the Symington subcommittee on U.S. military assistance and arms sales to Iran, India, and Pakistan. The testimony included criticism by Senator Fulbright of U.S. military aid to Iran, and by Senator Symington of Iran’s military and economic agreements with the Soviet Union and its middleman role as an arms supplier for Pakistan. The report noted that this was likely to annoy the Shah and that the Department was trying to soften his reaction by alerting him in advance. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, Department of State, President’s Evening Reading, 3/1/67, Vol. VII)↩