Word: ghotbzadeh
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Within hours, however, this was denied by Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, who, since taking office four weeks ago, has apparently been searching for a way out of the impasse. He promised that "no trial will go on," though the government still intended to convene an "international grand jury" to investigate the "Shah's crimes and American foreign policy here." In the meantime, he said, release of some hostages before Christmas was "possible but not certain." Added Ghotbzadeh: "We will try to do our best to defuse the crisis. I certainly don't want to have this crisis forever...
...those statements Ghotbzadeh was promptly summoned to the holy city of Qum for a refresher course on the Ayatullah's policies. Afterward, Khomeini announced that everyone was in accord. Said he of the students' renewed demand that the hostages be tried unless the Shah is sent back to Iran: "The nation agrees with this. The Foreign Minister and the government also agree with this. Why should the nation not support this...
...espionage, and they are spies. We reject all the clamor by various sections abroad that these people should be freed because they are embassy staff and members of a mission." Emboldened by the regime's new expressions of support, the student militants turned their fire on Ghotbzadeh. In Communique 75, they accused him of "talking too much." Said the militants: "The Iranian nation should be ashamed to speak more than necessary to an enemy, particularly a filthy one like America." To hasten his fall from grace, the state-run radio, which until three weeks ago was directed by Ghotbzadeh...
Khomeini meanwhile in structed Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh to allow a group of foreign observers to visit the hostages. Said a senior Western diplomat in Tehran: "The Iranians have finally recognized that an international inspection of the hostages will go far toward defusing the tension...
...Europe, denounced Iran for holding the hostages and demanded their "release immediately." The unanimous 15-0 vote in the U.N. Security Council was a rare show of support for the U.S. The Khomeini government's initial response was unexpectedly positive. After discussing the resolution with the Ayatullah, Ghotbzadeh complained that it did not deal with Iran's demand for the return of the exiled Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi but nonetheless represented "a step forward." U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim thereupon began private negotiations to carry out the U.N. request...