Iran Blasts U.S. Compensation as ‘Charity’

Iran on Friday dismissed as “a kind of charity” President Reagan’s offer of compensation for the 290 victims in the shooting down of an Iranian Airbus and again said the attack was premeditated.

At a news conference shortly before the Security Council resumed debate on the tragedy, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati blasted the offer, noting that Reagan specifically avoided the issue of U.S. responsibility.

“We do not need mercy,” Velayati said.

Asked if the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the U.S. cruiser Vincennes on July 3 was premeditated, Velayati said, “The evidence shows that.”

U.S. officials contend the skipper of the Vincennes, patrolling the Persian Gulf, shot down the Iranian Airbus because he thought it was a hostile jet fighter.

Culpability Denied

Washington’s offer of compensation to the victims explicitly denied culpability in the incident.

“Worse than this criminal act was the attitude of U.S. officials towards it,” Velayati said, adding the tragedy was “rooted in the large and unleashed presence of U.S. troops in the region.”

Velayati denied recent reports that Washington and Tehran had been moving quietly toward renewed contacts.

“The U.S. Administration, unfortunately, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, has had a hostile attitude toward the Islamic Republic,” he said.

He denied any third-party talks are under way or planned.

In the council on Friday, the Soviet Union renewed its demand that the U.S. fleet be withdrawn from the gulf.

Soviet Ambassador Valentin V. Lozinsky said, “The tragedy has demonstrated once again that the United States naval fleet must leave the gulf waters without delay.”

As debate continued in the 15-nation council, delegates worked behind the scenes on a possible resolution, but with no sign of immediate progress.

Diplomatic sources said there was no question of the council’s condemning the United States, but they noted that many members also wanted to avoid a total rebuff to the Iranians, for fear that this would worsen the prospects for U.N. peacemaking in the gulf conflict.

Council President Paulo Nogueira-Batista, the chief delegate of Brazil, has been trying to obtain agreement on a resolution or a consensus statement, but no results are expected until next week, officials said.