Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - March 23, 2001 Remarks by Sheikh Mohammad Yazdi and Sheikh Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi in the Media

Visit to Development Projects in Kish Island
Report by Seyyed Hossein Mousavian on His Trip to Europe and Investments in Kish
Remarks by Sheikh Mohammad Yazdi and Sheikh Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi in the Media

Full Diary Text:

I spent two to three hours visiting part of Kish Island. We went to the harbor and visited the construction of the calm pool by a Dutch company, which is nearing completion. The first phase of dredging is finished. A total of one million tons of coral beach has been dredged with a special dredging machine. Using the extracted materials, 20 hectares of new land has been created along the island's coast; in the second phase, where we plan to dredge three million tons, the water depth in the pool will increase from the current 7.5 meters to 16 meters, providing valuable land for Kish. It was mentioned that the extracted materials could also be used to produce concrete, which would cover the dredging costs. Once the pier is complete, 10,000-ton ships will be able to dock.

I inspected the new and modern ship "Tavoos," recently purchased from Sweden. It is very equipped, comfortable, fast, and safe, with strong radars. Its captain, [Mr. Mirhamid Hashemi-Panah], was previously the commander of one of the naval units and retired with the rank of captain. We visited the area that has been cleared of drug traffickers alongside the industrial town, where they reported the detention and expulsion of 380 individuals; this number seems exaggerated.

We visited a small fish market that has recently been established and spoke with the fishermen. They expressed satisfaction with their work. In contrast, two shipowners operating between the islands and southern countries complained about the high fuel prices, lack of amenities, and support.

I then visited the Kahriz Tunnel, which runs along an ancient qanat and is at a depth of 14 meters. With the innovation of Mr. Roustayi and funding from [Mr. Mansour Haji-Hosseini], an Iranian living in Germany and a Benz representative, it is nearing completion and could serve as a good tourist center. I conducted an interview with state television regarding issues in Kish. We took a tour around the island, during which [Mr. Hossein Ghasemi], the CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, provided explanations, although complete information was still lacking.

The MIR space station of Russia was precisely destroyed today. The majority of it burned up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, with about 20 tons of its 137-ton body falling into the southern Pacific Ocean. It was supposed to remain in space for five years but actually lasted 15 years, during which 104 astronauts conducted research on it. Apparently, the Russian people are dissatisfied with the end of MIR and the United States' advance in establishing the International Space Station, which has bruised their pride, and only 20% of Russians supported the destruction of MIR. Consequently, the Russian government announced plans to send MIR 2 into space soon. MIR was a symbol of Russia's advancement in space.

In the evening, I swam in the sea for about an hour, covering a distance of approximately 600 meters. Later, [Mr. Seyyed Hossein Mousavian] came to report on his trip to Europe to attract investment partners for centers in Kish Island, including the development of the airport, the purchase of the Shayan Hotel, the equipping of a 14-story commercial center, managing a modern hospital under construction, and creating a golf course. He expressed concern about the country's management conditions and said that if this situation continues for the next four years, the revolution and Iran will be weakened to a point where recovery will be difficult. He called for actions from me and the leadership to bring a strong and effective government to power. He provided information regarding the thoughts and actions of [Mr. Hossein Ghasemi], the new CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, with whom he had collaborated for years at the Supreme National Security Council secretariat.

The Palestine issue is heating up. [Ariel] Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel, is in the U.S. trying to further involve America. He has requested that they not allow [Yasser] Arafat, the head of the Palestinian Authority, to travel to the U.S. and press Iran and Egypt not to support the Intifada. He stated that he would not meet or negotiate with Arafat until the Intifada calms down, considering Arafat a key figure in the continuation of the Intifada. Israel has claimed that Iran has modernized Hezbollah's missiles, increasing their range to 70 kilometers, which covers all northern Israeli cities.

Iranian media abroad have explicitly reported the remarks of [Mohammad] Yazdi and [Mohammad Taqi] Mesbah Yazdi during today’s Friday prayers in Tehran as being against the republicanism of the Iranian revolution and against Mr. Khatami and the parliament.