Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – June 26, 1981

Early in the morning, we prepared to leave for Jiroft and Kahnuj. We went to the Air Force base. We spoke with some of the personnel and boarded the helicopter. After waiting for a while, the control tower announced that the weather was unsuitable for flying. We had no choice but to return. The air force officers and pilots gathered, and I gave them a speech, along with some explanations about their duties and enlightening points, which were effective and useful. Then we inspected the base and spoke briefly with the soldiers as well.

We set out for Zarand to see the coal mines. We had lunch at the Zarand Mining Administration. A group of people had gathered at the entrance to the city to welcome us. We prayed at the factory mosque, and they got me to promise that I would speak to the people at the Grand Mosque at three o’clock.

We went to the Bab-Nizo mines. We put on work clothes and took an elevator down to a depth of 350 meters underground. We inspected the coal tunnels, which were astonishing. We also listened to the workers’ requests, most of which concerned welfare matters. We came out of the mine at three o’clock.

Captain Sajjadi, the commander of the Gendarmerie, brought news of an assassination attempt on Mr. Khamenei, along with the good news that he had survived. He said that a bomb had been placed inside a tape recorder and put on the podium table at Abazar Mosque. For a moment, the world seemed dark to me. Those accompanying me noticed that I had lost my composure, and perhaps for this reason Captain Sajjadi gave some reassuring explanations. I regained my composure and realized that after Bani-Sadr’s removal, we had to observe security measures more carefully. The way I was traveling, and Mr. Khamenei’s incautious presence at Abazar Mosque, were examples of this lack of caution.

We immediately returned to the city, and I gave a short speech at the Grand Mosque of Zarand before a huge crowd, then set out for Kerman. Along the way, the residents of the villages had gathered and were expressing their enthusiasm, and I spoke briefly to them. The people of Khanuk had even brought a loudspeaker. I spoke more along the road. We reached the airport at six in the afternoon. The airplane had a problem, and we were delayed for a while until it was repaired, after which we took off. At the airport, I gave an interview to Kerman Radio.

We arrived in Tehran at eight that night. I went directly to the Heart Hospital to visit Mr. Khamenei. The doctors said that seventy percent of the danger had passed, but the bleeding had increased. His right hand had become paralyzed because of severed nerves and would later require a graft. The blood vessels and nerves on the right side of his chest had been severed. They took him to the operating room to stop the bleeding, and I went home. Effat had also returned home from the hospital and was not in bad condition. I was very tired and went to bed early. But because of the sorrow, grief, and anxiety over Mr. Khamenei’s condition, I remained awake for a long time, trying to conceal my worry.