43712 INTERVIEW WITH H. E. ARDESHIR ZAHEDI Dr Freeda Saba from the Iranian television IRTV in USA had the opportunity to sit down & interview H.E. Ambassador Ardeshir Zahedi at his residence, Villa les Rose, in Montreux, .

Freeda Saba: Referring to the Iranian who follows them must be long and unique experience either brain washed or sick. They of the Ambassadorship and are not friends of ; they are our international diplomacy, enemies and I have no consideration what is your current view for such enemies. I am not a Prophet on current tensions between but through common sense and Iran and the ? experience I have been convinced what do you think the Iranian that there is no problem that cannot people should do under be solved through honest exchanges present circumstances. and sincere dialogue. Should they listen to Trump, Many years ago during one of Netanyahu and MBS or my talks with Andre Gromyko, stand behind the Islamic Russian Foreign Minister a learned Republic? sympathetic diplomat, about the Ambassador Zahedi (AZ): I have situation in Czechoslovakia I quoted no sympathy whatsoever for the in jest “You want to say what is mine, three names you mentioned. Any is mine and what is yours is also

2020 فصلنامه ی »ره Spring/Summer آورد« ,131/130 شامره ی Studies/131 Issue 130، بهار/of Iranian تابستان RAHAVARD Quarterly Persian & English 1399 Journal 43613 mine.” I truly believe this kind of Today, America should realize it attitude and political game play leads cannot achieve its goal through us nowhere. military threat, force and/or Hopefully, it seems, the President of sanctions. They have not yet begun the United States has started to realize to understand Iran. Iran as a nation this. The American people are more is peace loving, seeking friendship. sensible to realities. America today is Cooperation is the process of distancing itself from Europe. Other nations working together for countries who signed the Nuclear common, mutual goals, as opposed Deal with Iran are making an effort to working in competition for to save the agreement which is selfish benefits. ultimately in their own country’s Iran, throughout its long glorious best interest and in the interest of the history, have always defended its world. honor and integrity. If you continue Over the past 145 years, Iran and the to insist that you are right and United States of America have had a everybody else is wrong, you miss friendly and honest relationship. It is the whole point. The two sides a pity to destroy all the achievements always need to be sincere and honest of the past decades. Iranian and in their relations and only through American people respect each other. respect and trust, achievement is Yet the flames of these tensions are reachable. The only way to peace and being fed from afar. To be honest, constructive relations. the Iranian people are not seeking I have always been a optimist. revenge and the American people FS: What should the people have no such intentions either. do, pour into the streets and People seek peace, understanding shout they want peace? and brotherhood. This is the direction the world should take. Trying to AZ: This is the ultimate word. Peace impose your ideas on a nation with and sincerity are the most common the use of force is the same story of and beautiful Iranian traits. When “whatever is mine is mine and what someone is leaving on a journey, is yours is also mine.” I have said and we wish him peace and security and will repeat it again, “the colonial age pray for protection. This is part of the of gunshot diplomacy is over!” three-thousand-year-old mentality of our nation. When sincerity and good

of Iranian Studies Issue 130/131, Spring/Summer 2020 فصلنامه Journalی »ره English & آورد« Persian شامره ی Quarterly/131 130، بهار/ تابستان 1399RAHAVARD 43514 will is there life becomes fruitful and FS: Unfortunately, these pleasant. days, the relations of many Remember in the old days in Iran, neighboring countries with there were no Super Chains of Iran is not based on that grocery stores. There were few principle. moms and pops little markets and AZ: This is not the case with all. not easy to get to. When unexpected Besides, we should not confuse guests would arrive, we used to go the attitude of governments with

the desires of the people. We have, to our neighbors and borrow items some neighbors who are under the from them. The next day we would direct influence or even control of purchase the items and pay them the Americans and the British. This back. We loved and respected our dependency has falsely made them neighbors. I learned from my father, we should confident and arrogant while the always keep friendly relations with attitude of their people, remain warm our neighbors with love and respect. and friendly. They cannot continue Our king also respected peace and to arrest peace loving people. If we understanding between nations. convince their people of our sincerity, ninety per cent of them are with us in In this room also known as the Hall their hearts and minds. of Fame, that you and I are sitting together, you see around you the FS: In your view, who could pictures of many of the leaders of the be against peace between world. They were most like brothers Iran and its neighbors? to us Iranians with mutual respect. AZ: Israel would not be happy to Many of the presidents you see their see Iran in peace with others. Israel pictures here, used to address me by wants to expand its territory and my first name “Ardeshir” not His America is behind it, supporting all Excellency, or Ambassador or by any its moves. We had brotherly relations other official titles. It is obvious that with Syria. When we were at war with when the two sides have confidence Saddam Hossein and he had invaded in each other they feel close. Mankind our country, Syrians came to help loves peace. Those who are against us. We owe them part of our victory. this noble aspiration are either sick or Lebanon, where I had spent some have flaws in their characters. years of my education, is and has

2020 فصلنامه ی »ره Spring/Summer آورد« شامره ,131/130 ی Studies،130/131 Issue بهار/ of Iranian تابستان RAHAVARD Quarterly Persian & English 1399 Journal 43415

FS: How do you see the future of Iran and the direction it is taking? AZ: Iran is moving towards a bright future with its new young, educated and qualified generation. Success, honor, happiness of people, peace and prosperity is in the horizon. One day soon America will need us, or we will need them. The world has become a global village. The seven been a friendly country. Amongst the billion people of the world today Arabs, I do not see many who would depend on each other and obliged to be against Iran, though some are live together in peace. Look at the still abusing religion and provoking Chinese, they have become closest tensions between Shiites and Sunnites friends and allies of Iran. Politics for their own benefit, profiting from may be full of tricks and deceptions, the situation and tension. but people are honest and sincere, devoted to their human causes. I My late Queen, her Majesty Fawzieh, believe in this, though I do not insist was Sunni and no one resented for I may be wrong. or was worried about it. We had close and intimate relations with all FS: It seems those, who like Arab Nations. We had our regular you, advocate peace, are pilgrimages to Karbala and Najaf or gaining ground. to Mecca and Medina. Omar Saqqaf, AZ: Everyone, except those who the Saudi foreign minister, was like have lost their minds, wants peace. my brother. We were in constant Iran is a peace-loving nation; the contact and worked hand in hand on Iranians know the pleasures of living the international issues. a peaceful life. Maybe I would not see it within the FS: Let me go back to the remaining days of my life, but we are events of 1979, the Iranian not far from reaching that goal and Revolution. Many still returning to the table in brother or believe that Jimmy Carter, sisterhood. the American President at

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the time, was at the origin and Jimmy Carter were both of the fall of the Iranian trying to boost the morale of Monarchy. the Shah to the last moment. AZ: Look at the photo behind you. AZ: That was not the case of Sullivan The time I took Shah’s son to visit though. from the first moment I met Carter in the White House. Sullivan I wrote to my Shah: Sulivan Carter had sympathy for Iran. will not be a good Ambassador to He is a noble man. As the saying Iran. Shah wrote back to me “While goes, Iranians sometimes become we have you, do not worry.” He was more Catholic than the Pope. The kind and generous in mind, but I Shah’s morale was low; he was knew Sullivan was neither capable seriously suffering from his illness; nor sincere. I had a private long lunch surrounded by a bunch of flatterers meeting with Sulivan before he was and liars and we saw the outcome. sent to Iran. I was convinced we It was the Shah himself who told the should not approve his nomination. Iranian Ambassador to go and speak We should remember the situation in to Khomeini. Iran had been deteriorating rapidly. NO, Jimmy Carter was not responsible There were many nations who for the fall of the monarchy. wanted to do everything possible to help us. President Carter called the FS: Recent documents Shah personally to support him. This reveal Ambassador Sullivan is what I know and believe in. If there

2020 فصلنامه ی »ره Spring/Summer آورد« ,131/130 شامره ی 130Studies/131 Issue ، بهار/ of Iranian تابستان RAHAVARD Quarterly Persian & English 1399 Journal 43217 are some who think otherwise and diplomat. His years of failure in have documents otherwise to prove, Vietnam and then in Philippine had let them come forth and speak. shaken his confidence. This could explain his attitude on Iran. I knew all I told the Shah what I sincerely this about him and tried to bring it to thought. For me not telling the the Shah’s attention. The documents truth was a treason. Carter was not from that period which have been the only US president who was a declassifies, revealss that Carter was friend of Iran; with other Presidents considering dismissing him as an like Nixon or Ford also we used to ambassador to Iran. I repeat again, I sit, defend our interest and reach an believe Jimmy carter liked Iran and agreement. They had proved their the Iranians. Maybe at the beginning good will towards us. of his Presidency he lacked experience FS: But in one of his but we saw him come at his own meetings with Sullivan, the initiative and at the crucial moments of Shah asks him why he had our history, he expressed his feelings not contacted the Khomeini about Iran and his support for the Camp and try to get their Shah, calling our country “The Island support for the government of Stability.” I have much respect for of Shahpour Bakhtiar. him. AZ: Sullivan’s behavior was not FS: Thank you, for your time. sincere, deep in his heart he was not AZ: Thank you. I am very glad we with us. He was basically a confused had this talk.

of Iranian Studies Issue 130/131, Spring/Summer 2020 فصلنامه یJournal »ره English & آورد« Persian شامره ی Quarterly/131 130، بهار/ تابستان 1399RAHAVARD