Congressional Leaders Briefed on Iran

WASHINGTON--President Reagan briefed congressional leaders yesterday on U.S. relations with Iran while his former national security adviser said the Persian Gulf nation is of "enormous importance" to the security of America and its Western allies.

Neither Reagan nor his spokesmen commented on what was said at the White House session. Nor were there any statements from the lawmakers invited.

It was the first such briefing since the emergence of widespread reports of a purported administration attempt to complete an arms-for-hostages deal with Iran to spring Americans held captive in Lebanon.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who was not included in the White House briefing, told reporters he felt administration officials were "groping for a retroactive justification" for the reported dealings with Iran.

The White House, which has never confirmed any such dealings, said Reagan was joined by Vice President George Bush, Secretary of State George P. Shultz, Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger '38, Attorney General Edwin Meese, CIA Director William Casey, White House chief of staff Donald Regan '40, and Adm. John Poindexter Reagan's national security adviser.

In New York, Said Rajaie-Khorassani, Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, strongly denied an arms-for-hostages deal with the United States. He did, however, confirm that his government was receiving U.S.-made military hardware.

"We did not have any arms deal or any other kind of deal with regard to the release of the hostages--with the United States or anyone else," he told a news conference. And he insisted that the "two issues are absolutely separate."

"It is not our affair to set any conditions for the release of the hostages in Lebanon," Rajaie-Khorassani said. But he conceded his Islamic fundamentalist government wields influence among Moslem groups in that Arab country.

White House spokesmen declined to comment on the ambassador's statements.

Congressional leaders attending the White House briefing were Senate Republican leader Bob Dole of Kansas, Senate Democratic leader Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, House Democratic leader Jim Wright of Texas and Rep. Dick Cheney of Wyoming, chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.

Meanwhile, former national security adviser Robert C. McFarlane, reportedly the key architect of a policy to seek U.S. contacts with Iran, re-issued a statement he had made in Atlanta earlier in the week, in which he talked of America's "vital security interest in the independence of Iran."

"The corollary to this conclusion," McFarlane said in the statement, "is that as a longterm proposition, we ought to try to engender a stable relationship with the Iranian government."

However, McFarlane said, the United States will not make concessions to terrorists, "nor in any way contribute to the continuation of terrorism."

Inextricably Linked

According to reports, McFarlane initiated, while still in the White House, secret contacts with Iran, despite its presence on the State Department's list of countries that support terrorism. The reports said he traveled to Tehran on several occasions while arrangements were made for the delivery of U.S. and Israeli military equipment to Iran, which is at war with Iraq.

The purpose was said to be to facilitate the release of American hostages held by Hezbollah, or Islamic Jihad, a pro-Iranian group in southern Lebanon, and also to improve U.S. relations with Tehran.

Reagan said Monday that no U.S. laws had been violated, or would be violated, in any American dealings with Tehran, although the statement went no further than that.