Iran Pledges Support for Sandinistas : ‘Will Always Be by Side of Nicaragua,’ Prime Minister Says

Iran’s prime minister, Mir Hussein Musavi, promised that his country “will always be by the side of Nicaragua,” and wished the Sandinista government success in its fight against U.S.-backed rebels, Iran’s official news agency reported today.

Musavi, who is visiting the leftist-led Central American nation, expressed hope that “the fight with the counterrevolutionaries will not hinder the implementation of economic and social plans,” IRNA reported.

“Musavi wished the Nicaraguan government and people success and stressed that to remove bottlenecks, the Islamic Republic of Iran would always be beside Nicaragua,” said the agency, monitored in Cyprus.

Musavi’s comments coincided with a statement Thursday by President Reagan, who said Iran had joined other radical forces in aiding the Sandinistas, thus posing “a new danger” to other countries in Central America. (Story on Page 6.)

Met in Managua

Musavi conferred in Managua with Juli Ramos, described by IRNA as “Nicaragua’s brigade commander and a member of the Sandinista army.” IRNA quoted Ramos as telling Musavi that in the last three years, Nicaraguan defense forces had killed 7,000 rebels.

“Referring to U.S. political and military provocations against Nicaragua, Ramos noted that the United States had turned Honduras into a big aircraft carrier against Nicaragua,” IRNA said.

The United States also was constantly carrying out reconnaissance flights, Ramos was quoted as saying. “The objective of all these maneuvers was to attack Nicaragua as an imaginary enemy,” Ramos said.

The Reagan Administration said today that it has reason to believe Iran is “in the process of arranging support in the form of oil supplies and funding for armaments” for Nicaragua.

Robert Sims, deputy White House press secretary for foreign affairs, said that “the potential for some expansion of terrorism in this hemisphere is always a concern for us as well.”

Sims, asked about Reagan’s warning of “a new danger,” said Musavi’s current visit to Nicaragua “is obviously evidence of political support” for the Sandinistas by Iran.