Rafsanjani Offers to Help Free Hostages; U.S. Cool to Proviso

Parliament Speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani said today that Iran will help free American hostages in Lebanon if the United States tries to win freedom for Iranians held by Christian forces in Lebanon.

It was the first time a top Iranian leader has commented on the foreign hostages since the death of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on Saturday. Under Khomeini, Iran supported pro-Iranian groups in Lebanan that are believed to be holding most of the 15 foreign hostages, including nine Americans.

Responding to a recent appeal by President Bush to help gain the release of U.S. hostages, Rafsanjani said that if “the Americans who have more influence than us on the Falangists (right-wing Christians in Lebanon) take action in securing the release of our hostages, then they can expect our help.”

Reaction in Washington was skeptical. “We’ve heard all this before,” White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said. “We’re not aware of any Iranian hostages in Lebanon.”

“Our plea to Iran is the same as it’s always been,” Fitzwater said. “That they should use whatever influence they have to let the hostages go.”

Four Iranians have been missing in Lebanon for nearly seven years. Although the four are widely believed to be dead, Iran has repeatedly tried to use them as a bargaining chip with the United States.

In his other remarks during an unusual news conference with foreign reporters, Rafsanjani said it could take a long time to formally end the Iran-Iraq war and that Khomeini had told him to improve relations with the Soviet Union.

On the 8 1/2-year Iran-Iraq war, Rafsanjani, who is acting military commander, said Iran is not willing to make any concessions to Iraq in the peace talks. The U.N.-sponsored talks stalled soon after they started Aug. 25.

The official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted him as saying, “We are determined to put an end” to the war. But he said the stalemate in peace talks may last for some time.

Rafsanjani quoted Khomeini as saying days before he died that Iran should improve ties with the Soviet Union. Rafsanjani said he will visit the Soviet Union later this month but that a date has not been set.

Rafsanjani said Khomeini told him to “ ‘try to promote your relations with your big northern neighbor’ and we will follow this policy drawn by the imam.”

Rafsanjani made his remarks as he addressed foreign correspondents who gathered in Tehran for Khomeini’s funeral Tuesday.

In his will read to Parliament after his death, Khomeini singled out the United States for special criticism, but it also warned Iran against aligning itself with the Communist bloc.