Iran Claims Agreement With U.S. on Fiscal Disputes Dating From ’79

Iran said today that it has reached agreement with the United States on a number of financial disputes dating from the Islamic revolution in 1979, but there was no confirmation from the American side.

Tehran radio quoted a statement by Iran’s mission at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague as saying that under two separate agreements, Iran would pay the United States a total of $105 million to settle more than 3,100 claims.

It quoted Ali Nobari, Iran’s representative at the tribunal, as saying the deal, yet to be ratified by the tribunal, has nothing to do with American hostages held in Lebanon.

In The Hague, a U.S. official close to the talks said, however, that no agreement has been reached and would not confirm or deny the $105-million figure.

“We are close to a settlement of 2,600 claims. I do not understand where Nobari gets his 3,100 figure from,” the official said.

In Washington on Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler had said, “A package settlement of small claims has been under discussion for some time, and differences have narrowed considerably, but we have not yet closed this matter.”

The tribunal was set up in 1981 to settle financial claims arising from Iran’s revolution under an agreement that also freed 52 American hostages seized at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

It is the only forum of official talks between the two countries, which broke diplomatic relations in 1980.

Nobari said the agreement was reached “in the normal framework of the negotiations and has no relation with political and economic issues including, as Western media have said, the question of hostages,” Tehran radio reported.

Some Western analysts suggested a settlement of the small claims could be one way for the United States to show goodwill for Iran’s help in the release last month of two American hostages in Lebanon.