Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 2, 1988

At eight in the morning, a meeting was held in my office with the presence of members of the General Staff [of the armed forces]. The Prime Minister, Dr. Rouhani, Seyed Hasan [Firoozabadi,] Behzad [Nabavi,] Gholamreza [Aghazadeh,] Mohammad [Baghrian], Bijan Namdar [Zanganeh,] Ali [Shamkhani,] Alireza [Afshar,] Masoud Roghani [Zanjani],] Seyed Mohammad [Khatami,] Mohammad [Forozandeh and] Gholamali] Rashid were present. We spent most of the time on the composition and duties and formal matters and the relationship of the General Staff with other staffs and then we entered into the discussion of defense of sensitive points. I spoke in general terms about the future of war. The meeting lasted until noon.

In the afternoon Mr. [Syed Mohammad [Khatami] Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance] had separate articles about propaganda and the use of political levers for the favorable end of the war. We also negotiated separately with Dr. Rouhani about the responsibilities of the command area.

In the evening, Brigadier Mohammad Hossein Jalali, Minister of Defense, came. He expressed concern about the interference of the government and political figures in the affairs of the armed forces, as I said that they are mostly in support matters. Colonel Torabi [Army Intelligence Protection Commander] came and gave a report on the work of protecting and arresting a large number of anti-revolutionary elements of the royalists and asked for currency for their movements outside the country.

Mr. Javad Larijani [Deputy for Europe and America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] came to consult on negotiations with the Westerners and the Easterners in his upcoming trip; I gave some warnings about the use of global political levers in the fate of war.

At night, I participated in the meeting of the heads of forces. Most of the time was taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Intelligence: Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Lebanese affairs and Intelligence for more powers to control other intelligence agencies. I arrived home late.