Office of the Historian

72. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Tarnoff) to Secretary of State Vance1

Washington, November 29, 1979

SUBJECT

  • Your Breakfast with the President Friday, November 30, 19792

1. The Shah’s Departure. As of this writing, we are considering how to react in light of Mexico’s decision not to allow the Shah to return.3 Since Lopez-Portillo reportedly made the decision personally—probably on the advice of Foreign Minister Castenada who wants Mexico to play a larger role in the Third World—an appeal to Mexico is probably fruitless. The delay in the Shah’s departure, although he will be medically fit to travel this weekend, adds a troubling element to a situation [Page 185] in Tehran that is already highly charged by the advent of Ashura and the upcoming constitutional referendum.

Attached at Tab 14 are some thoughts on alternate countries of residence that we may want to pursue with Armao.

We are also considering suggesting to the Shah that he return to Mexico since his visa does not expire until December 9. This will allow him to consider to ask for political asylum in Mexico, and it will permit us to help him check with other countries which might be willing to receive him. Although his visa is technically valid until December 9, we cannot exclude the possibility that the Mexicans, who have publicly discouraged him from returning for a short period, would actually revoke it if the Shah actually attempts to return there.

[Omitted here is material unrelated to the hostage crisis]

  1. Source: Department of State, Records of the Secretary of State, 1977–1980, Lot 84D241, President’s Breakfasts 9/1/79 thru 12/31/79. Secret; Nodis. ↩
  2. No minutes of the President’s foreign policy breakfast meeting has been found.↩
  3. In a November 29 memorandum to Vance, Newsom related that the Mexican Government had just informed Armao that it was unwilling to renew the Shah’s visa. Newsom then identified Paraguay, Argentina, South Africa, Egypt, and Costa Rica as possible countries to which the Shah might travel. (Department of State, Records of the Secretary of State, 1977–1980, Lot 84D241, President’s Breakfasts 9/1/79 thru 12/31/79)↩
  4. Attached but not printed. See footnote 3, above.↩