Office of the Historian

27. Memorandum for the Files1

Washington, November 13, 1979

The Danish Ambassador phoned at 12:45 today, November 13 to forward a summary of the Danish Ambassador in Tehran’s account of the EC–9 meeting with Bani Sadr at 11:00 AM Tehran time today (November 13):2

The EC–9 Ambassadors reaffirmed their humanitarian concerns regarding the occupation of the U.S. Embassy and reinforced their earlier protest regarding the violations of international law.

The Danish Ambassador in Tehran commented that Bani Sadr appeared after 45 minutes of discussion to take the EC–9 concerns seriously and agreed to look into the betterment of the hostages’ conditions.

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The Danish Ambassador in Washington indicated to me that he assumes the other EC–9 members will be reporting separately and that the Irish Ambassador is taking the lead in reporting the collective views of the meeting. He, however, wished to pass on the account from his Ambassador in Tehran at this time.

The Danish Ambassador called back at 2 PM November 13 to report the following:

Bani Sadr has also mentioned to the EC–9 Ambassadors that Iran has asked the UN Secretary General to seek U.S. agreement to (a) discuss a tribunal for investigating the Shah, with modalities to be decided in the UNSC; and (b) for the U.S. to agree that it would accept the decision of the tribunal with respect to the Shah and his family and the disposition of his assets.3

Bani Sadr said that he was hopeful that such an agreement would be carried through. Bani Sadr had told the EC Ambassadors that this general proposal had been brought to the Iranian Government by “American sources”.4

  1. Source: Department of State, Records of David D. Newsom, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Subject Files, 1978–1981, Lot 81D154, Swiss Channel. Secret. Drafted by Suddarth. Copies were sent to Constable for the Iranian Working Group, Saunders, and Newsom.↩
  2. The British Embassy in Washington retransmitted the text of a message, November 14, from the British Embassy in Tehran to the Foreign Commonwealth Office, which was a written account of the meeting. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Middle East File, Box 30, Subject Files, [Retained] 11/1/79–11/15/79↩
  3. The Iranian requests to the UN Secretary-General were reported in telegram 5221 from USUN, November 14. (Ibid.)↩
  4. A reference to Professor Richard Falk.↩