Iran Update: January 28, 1980

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 28 the , Washington, D.C. 20520 January 28, 1980 SECRET/SENSITIVE TO: The Secretary FROM: NEA - Harold H. Saunders is SUBJECT: Iran Update: January 28, 1980 Today's Objectives -- To develop a public posture on Bani-Sadr's - election. (Draft guidance attached) -- To consider possible new approaches to the crisis. -- To consider strategy for UN Human Rights Meeting in Geneva. -- To prepare our position on sanctions for a decision later in the week. Status of Initiatives -- For the third time since their conversations began two months ago Ghotbzadeh telephoned Richard Cottam yesterday. The conversation was upbeat in mood. Ghotbzadeh said he had one month in which to resolve the crisis. He acknowledged that he and Bani-Sadr were not on good terms at all ("to put it mildly"). but Ghotbzadeh said he had an absolute majority of the members of the Révolutionary Council. The Council would remain in control until the new Government was installed and Ghotbzadeh would thus be able to override Bani-Sadr. Ghotbzadeh strongly implied also he had a better position with Khomeini than Bani-Sadr. -- Ghotbzadeh told Cottam progress could be quite fast now and there should be movement on many fronts including New York and Panama. He hoped we would not resist if the Europeans planned a statement urging us to go slow on sanctions. Ghotbzadeh also suggested that we unfreeze some Iranian assets. There was a hint at the end of the conversation that Ghotbzadeh might be ready for more direct contact with us. SECRET DECLASSIFIED Per, Rac Project ESON; NLC-6-32-6-23-8 BY B NARA, DATE 5/18/2015