Office of the Historian

205. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of State Rogers and Secretary of Defense Laird1 2

Washington, June 15, 1972

SUBJECT:

  • Follow-up on the President’s Talk with the Shah of Iran

During the President’s talks with the Shah of Iran in Tehran on May 30–31, the President was forthcoming in response to the Shah’s general request for continued US support in meeting Iran’s needs for military equipment. The President made the specific commitments described below which now require follow-up:

1.
The US is willing in principle to sell F–14 and F–15 aircraft to Iran as soon as we are satisfied as to their operational effectiveness.
2.
The US is prepared to provide laser-guided bombs to Iran.
3.
The US will assign in Iran an increased number of uniformed military technicians from the US services in accordance with the so-called “blue-suiter” approach to work with the Iranian services.

The Defense Department is requested to prepare by June 30, in coordination with the State Department, a memorandum describing the manner in which each of these programs can be carried out in a way that will be consistent with the President’s commitment.

Henry A. Kissinger
  1. Source: Library of Congress, Kissinger Papers, Box CL–152, Iran Chronological File. Secret.↩
  2. Kissinger provided Rogers and Laird with a summary of the commitments the President had made to the Shah.↩