Tabatabaie's recounts of Iran-US talks

In an exclusive interview with Khabar Online, Sadegh Tabatabaie said that after consulting with the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, he initiated talks with the United States through Germany in a bid to resolve the issue about the American hostages.
In a visit to Ahmad Khomeini, the younger son of Imam Khomeini, Tabatabaie suggested that Iran had to set some terms for possible agreement with the US authorities over the hostages, and then after the terms were approved by both sides, Iran could deliver the agreement to the Majlis, (Parliament) to be discussed and ratified by the lawmakers.
The same issue was raised later in a meeting with Imam Khomeini, Tabatabaie also said, adding that Imam Khomeini determined four demands to be met by the US, including,
- To return the properties of Shah and his family
- To withdraw any legal claims against Iran
- To promise to avoid political and military intervention in Iran
- To release all Iranian assets frozen by the US.
Tabatabaie then contacted the German embassy in Tehran to ask them to call the country's foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher. Tabatabaie said he wanted the German minister to deliver his message to the White House that Iran was ready to hold talks with representatives of the US government to discuss its conditions for the release of the hostages.
Some hours later, German ambassador to Tehran Gerhard Rizel called him, saying that President Carter had welcomed the news, but wanted to make sure that the Iranian envoy had close ties with the country's policy makers, Tabatabaie also said.
"I then went to visit Imam Khomeini to tell him about the concern of the Americans," Tabatabaie said, adding, "I suggested to Imam Khomeini to list the four demands of Iran in his upcoming public speech, and that if the Americans accept such demands Iran's Majlis will provide the ground for release of the hostages. I said I will inform the Americans of your speech, and that if they hear the terms in your speech they will understand the authenticity of the negotiations. And Imam Khomeini confirmed the issue."
Tabatabaie said that a day before Imam's speech I reminded him of the demands. He quoted White House spokesman Hamilton Jordan as saying in his memoir that the message was heartening and Carter was very happy with it and asked Warren Christopher to hold direct talks with the Iranian envoy.
The mid-level Iranian envoy went on saying that he attended hours-long meeting with Christopher in two days and Iran's demands were approved during the meeting.
Tabatabaie added the German foreign ministry passed him a letter two days later at his hotel room in Dusseldorf that included a 25-page letter from president carter. He had accepted Iran's demands and wanted Iran to release hostages before October, when presidential campaigns were set to begin.
"It was very natural that the US asked for a deadline, we also wanted to put an end to the issue and win more concessions from America, and as Carter wanted to be re-elected he would have met our demands," he also said.
Tabatabaie said that he traveled to Tehran and went to visit Imam Khomeini to inform him of Carter's letter. He was told to pass the letter to the then Majlis speaker Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, but the issue was not set as Majlis agenda, as it was expected.