No. of Recommendations: 3
And even more:
It was an artfully-crafted portrait of an Islamic Republic, mirroring what Carter had sketched at a conference of world leaders on Guadeloupe Island earlier that month: an Iran free of Soviet domination, neutral, if not friendly to America, one that would not export revolution, or cut oil flow to the West.
"We will sell our oil to whoever purchases it at a just price," Khomeini wrote.
"The oil flow will continue after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, except for two countries: South Africa and Israel," he added.
To develop the country, Iran needed the assistance of others, "in particular the Americans", Khomeini wrote.
As for foreign investments, the US was likely to have a role. He implied that the Islamic Republic would be interested in buying tractors, not tanks, making it also clear that he had no "particular affinity" for the Russians.
"The Russian government is atheistic and anti-religion. We will definitely find it more difficult to have a deep understanding with the Russians," Yazdi added to Zimmermann as he delivered the answers.
"You are Christians and believe in God and they don't. We feel it easier to be closer to you than to Russians," Yazdi said.
Khomeini also vowed not to destabilise the region.
"Non-interference in other people's affairs", he wrote, would be the policy of the future government.
The Ayatollah completed suckered the Carter administration, and this disaster has reverberated around world events for the last 45 years.
