239. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Saunders) to Secretary of State Vance1
SUBJECT
- Iran Update—April 4, 1980
Today’s Objective
—To determine the chances for an Iranian decision to transfer the hostages this weekend.
—To begin to prepare a second package of measures we might take against Iran if the transfer does not occur.2
Status of Initiatives
—The attached cable from Lang3 responds as best he is able to the questions we put to him on Wednesday. It also conveys the flavor of the situation prior to the Revolutionary Council’s about-face late yesterday.
[Page 632]—In addition to the message to the Swiss last night,4 we asked the lawyers to press hard for action on the transfer. At this writing, we do not know whether Bourguet will join Capucci in Tehran, but the latter could also be a helpful influence with the Iranians.
—At the suggestion of the SCC, we are looking into a suspension of food aid shipments and revocation of visas for Iranians as a means of additional pressure.5
—We sent a cable to Rome of individual messages from the families for delivery to the hostages by Capucci should he have the opportunity to deliver them at religious services.
In a telephone conversation with Bruce Laingen this morning, he asked that we convey to you the following messages:
—He and his colleagues have the highest respect for the decision that the President took to defer sanctions on Tuesday morning.6 They fully understand the priority that has been placed on the welfare of the hostages. However, Laingen and the other two believe there is a limit to the flexibility that we can show and they debated among themselves strongly whether it was a good idea to let the Iranians off the hook one more time. We told Bruce we certainly appreciated his point of view and shared his outlook, but there were considerations that justified the steps we had taken. We had made plain to the Iranians that our patience was limited. He agreed with that position.
—Laingen asked, if there was a transfer, whether he should seek to join the 50 hostages. We told him that we should wait and find out what new conditions would be arranged for them. If satisfactory arrangements for them were made, we would want him to exercise a leadership role with his staff. He said he very much wished to do that.
—We told Laingen that any idea of his colleagues to attempt to escape from Tehran should be discouraged. He said he agreed with that.
—Laingen said that he had written a personal letter to Ghotbzadeh urging a further Iranian gesture after the tranfer as a sign of goodwill. Laingen proposed a release of the women, the two non-official hostages, and any one requiring medical attention.
- Source: Department of State, Official Files of [P] David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Lot 82D85, Iran Update April 1980. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Precht. Also sent to Christopher and Newsom.↩
- In an April 4 memorandum to Aaron on “Next Steps on Iran,” Sick noted burgeoning support for retaliatory measures against Iran, writing, “The hawks are flying.” He listed possible retaliatory acts that the United States could take against Iran. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 32, Subject File, Iran [Retained] 4/80)↩
- Attached but not printed. The undated cable from Lang provided details of events in Tehran, with particular emphasis on the domestic political context of the events on April 1. Lang also wrote that he was afraid that the Iranian leadership would “‘screw up’ and procrastinate and let the opportunity slip by” for one reason or another. He also suggested that the United States had to pressure the Iranians “unrelentingly, go over the same material untiringly lest they slacken off and the matter becomes bogged down one more time.” (Department of State, Official Files of [P] David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Lot 82D85, Iran Update April 1980)↩
- See Document 238.↩
- See Document 236.↩
- See Document 234.↩