U.S. Mum on Bakhtiar’s Opposition to Selling Oil to Israel

The State Department expressed support for the new government of Iran today but declined to comment on Prime Minister-designate Shapur Bakhtiar’s statement yesterday that his government would refuse to sell oil to Israel and South Africa.

Replying to questions, the Department’s Chief spokesman, Hodding Carter, said “I am not going to comment on the basis of some interviews given, some statements mode to reporters” by Bakhtiar. He added, “We are prepared to cooper ate fully with the government of Iran–that has never meant that we agree fully with every policy that they have.”

Carter also stated, in response to questions, that “we have not yet heard from Egypt” on its position with respect to the resumption of peace negotiations with Israel. “We do not have a report from that (Egyptian) government on the results of its deliberations,” Carter said, adding “I do not expect it for to least the next 24 hours.”

Reports from Cairo yesterday said the Egyptian Cabinet indicated readiness to resume the peace talks following on almost six-hour meeting The Israeli Cabinet said last Sunday that it was prepared to resume the talks.

Meanwhile, it was learned that the crisis in Iran and. the stalled Israeli-Egyptian peace talks will be major items on the agenda of the Western summit conference Which opens tomorrow on Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. President Carter flew to the island today where he will join West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Prime Minister James Callaghan of Britain. They will be hosted by President Valery Giscard d’Estaing of France. Officials here said the two day conference would be informal