Iran Update: December 17, 1980
This document is a December 17, 1980 Department of State Briefing Memorandum providing an update on the Iran hostage crisis.
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OCR Page 1 of 5DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BRIEFING MEMORANDUM
S/S
4D
December 16, 1980
C
SECRET/SENSITIVE
TO
: The Secretary
The Deputy Secretary
P - Under Secretary Newsom
FROM: NEA Harold H. Saunders HHS perked
-
Iran Update - December 17, 1980
Today's Objectives
-- To continue to evaluate advance indications of
the substance of the Iranian comprehensive response to
our position.
-- To implement Swiss recommendations for observance
of the Christmas holidays by the hostages.
Status of Initiatives
-- The Algerian team expects to receive a compre-
hensive response to our clarification from the Iranians
on December 17 or 18, although we have seen Iranian time-
tables slip before.
-- Imam Khorasani told the Working Group that he had
received a telephone call from a merchant supporter of
Khomeini in Tehran at about 9:30 a.m. Tehran time
December 16 reporting recent political developments.
According to his informant, Prime Minister Rajai has been
politically weakened by the recent letter from Bani-Sadr
to Khòmeini asserting that Rajai is incompetent and
recommending his removal. As a result, Rajai, who is
still very closely associated with the militants who
seized the Embassy compound, has concluded that it would
be desirable to settle the hostage question by Christmas
if possible. The substance of the Iranian reply,
DECLASSIFIED
SECRET/SENSITIVE
Per; Rac Project
RDS-1 12/16/00
ESDN; NLC-2-33-511-6
BY AGP NABA, DATE 7/14/2015