Iran Update: December 8, 1979
This document is a December 8, 1979 Department of State Briefing Memorandum providing an update on the Iran hostage crisis.
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OCR Page 1 of 4DEPARTMENT OF STATE
7
$
BRIEFING MEMORANDUM
S/S
EBCRET/NODIS
To:
The Secretary
From:
P - David D. Newsom
NEA - Harold H. Saunders
Subject:
Iran Update, December 8, 1979
Today's Objectives
-- To complete preparation for your European
trip.
--
To probe, through indirect sources,
whether the Iranians are serious about their stated
intention to release some of the hostages and try
others.
--
To continue to assess the effects of the
Azerbaijan strife on the release of the hostages.
Status of Current Initiatives
We had no contacts through our various
intermediaries today. Most of them seem to have
spent the day at Friday prayer services or been
occupied with the troubles in Tabriz.
The Revolutionary Council seems to have
backed down over Azerbaijan in appointing Moghadam
Maraghei, an opponent of the religious hard-line
leaders, as governor. Moghadam served as governor
of Tabriz immediately after the revolution but
resigned when he was frustrated by the various
komites. The Council's use of Bazargan as an
intermediary between Khomeini and Shariat-Madari
and Bazargan's trip to Tabriz- will improve his
standing. Our preliminary assessment is that the
Tabriz troubles could help persuade Khomeini and
the Council that they do not need the continuing
aggravation of a crisis with the U.S. Tabriz
SECRET/NODIS
DECLASSIRED
Per; Rac Project
ESDN: NLC-6-32-4:1.3
BY. a NARA, DAJE 7/21/15