Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 23, 1997

Mr. [Goders] Iftikhar Jahrami, [Head of the Presidential International Legal Services Office] came. gave a report on the work of the International Law Service Office; Out of several thousands of lawsuits between us and the Americans at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, only 37 cases remain, which are less than 200 million dollars.

I was supposed to have an interview for Iran's yearbook [newspaper], but they arrived late and it was canceled. Dr. Tankabani came in the evening. He reported the success in the arbitration in Bushehr power plant issue with Siemens company, which ruled in our favor. According to this claim, 11 billion marks have been damaged. In the past, it was doubtful to give the attorney to this group, and they gave it with my consent; They have worked well so far. Mr. Iftikhar Jahrami also disagreed that he accepts for now.

Mr. Iftikhar also reported about our request from Israel that he chose a French lawyer and filed a lawsuit. I said, considering the fact that the Israelis have chosen the Russians as mediators for the issue of their debts to Iran, it is good that our claims should be presented in a way that is valid. [Iran's demands] are three things: the Sirjan missile project, the oil pipeline, and the price of oil delivered, all of which were proposed and carried out during the previous regime, and after the revolution, because we consider Israel illegitimate, no one tried to pursue it, until a few years ago, I ordered the International Legal Services Office [of the Presidency] to raise them and not allow them to be subject to the passage of time.

Mr. Dr. Iftikhar said today that at that time, the leadership office followed up on why the lawsuit was filed, but when they saw that it was done on my order, they confirmed it. Israel raised the original debt of about one billion dollars, but it is more than this amount.

Akhvi Mohammad [Executive Vice President] came and gave a report on the reconstruction and talked about the economic opinions that are raised in the government and expressed his concern that they will gradually return to subsidies or construction will slow down.