Reports of undisclosed origin that Israel continues to supply arms to Iran have become a source of irritation between Israel and the United States. Officials in Jerusalem fear they may cast a shadow on Premier Yitzhak Shamir’s upcoming visit to Washington.
Israeli officials have flatly denied the reports. State Department spokesman Charles Redman confirmed Monday that the United States has confronted Israel with the allegations that surfaced in the media.
He said it was American policy to follow up any news reports claiming that Iran has imported weaponry. He declined to comment on their veracity, except to note that Israeli officials “find no credibility” in them.
The Israelis have “investigated them and they find no evidence that in fact such shipments have occurred,” Redman said. He added that “this particular story has been reported widely over the past several weeks.”
Israeli officials are nevertheless anxious. They said Monday that Shamir would deny the reports totally if the issue is raised with him in Washington, because there is no truth whatever in them.
Both President Reagan and Secretary of State George Shultz brought the matter to the attention of President Chaim Herzog during his state visit to the United States two weeks ago, the first ever by a president of Israel.
According to a Davar report Monday, Herzog promptly consulted by cable and telephone with Shamir, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin. His conversations prompted an immediate investigation in Israel, the conclusions of which enabled Herzog to inform Shultz that “no proof has been found that these reports are correct,” the paper reported.
Davar said that Washington also has begun a comprehensive investigation of the matter. The paper said the questioning of the Israelis by the Americans stemmed in part from reports in the Kuwaiti and British press that several Israeli arms dealers, including former Israel Defense Force officers, are involved in a $750 million arms deal with Iran.
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