Iranian Parliament Speaker Suggests Swap of Israeli-held Lebanese Shiites for U.S. Hostages

In a rare interview on American television, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Hojatolislam Hashemi Rafsanjani, has proposed that the United States pressure Israel to swap Lebanese Shiites being held in Israeli prisons for American hostages. The interview was telecast on the “Today” show Thursday.

Rafsanjani told NBC foreign editor Henry Champ that although “Iran does not interfere in other countries,” he agreed that Iran has influence among Lebanese Shiites because they do, in fact, turn to Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini “for guidance.”

But. said Rafsanjani, responding to Champ’s question on the possibility of Iran interceding with the Lebanese Shiites for the American hostages’ release, “Why should we do it when you have hostile attitudes toward us and such a naval build-up in the Persian Gulf?” Rafsanjani then suggested that the U.S. put pressure on Israel to release Lebanese prisoners being held in Israel. “You have done this before. Why don’t you repeat that?”

When Champ asked him, “Are you suggesting a trade?” Rafsanjani succinctly replied, “Yes, we do.”

Rafsanjani said, “I don’t think I have absolute power to do that (release hostages). I only promise I will do my best.”

A commentator on NBC News following the interview said that the Israeli government had publicly responded to the suggestion by saying it would not negotiate with Iran over release of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli spokespersons indicated that Iran had not made such a direct offer to Israel for any consideration of it to be made.

Barukh Binah, press spokesperson at the Israel Consulate in New York, said, “We don’t take this very seriously. He (Rafsanjani) can say whatever he likes on television. Our stand concerning terrorism is known.”

Rafsanjani also said that “The Islamic way of thinking should be propagated everywhere. This is what we believe in and this is what we work for.”

Rafsanjani said he is not optimistic about an early end to the Gulf War between Iran and Iraq. However, he also suggested that if the U.S. came out with a statement that Iraq had started the war. “Iran would end the war. I think we could expect that.”