Ayatollah Montazeri: Occupation of the American Embassy Was a Mistake

In a statement posted on his website, Ayatollah Montazeri said that the occupation of the American embassy was not the right thing to do.  According to Montazeri, “occupying the embassy of a country we are not at war with is like declaring war on them and is wrong.  Many devoted [revolutionaries] who were involved accept that it was wrong.”
Montazeri added that Khomeini’s ruling against relations with the U.S. “was temporary and changes based on political and economic situations.”  According to Montazeri, “Israel and its lobby in the U.S. are firmly against relations between Iran and the U.S. and believe it is in their interest for the current crisis between Iran and the U.S. to continue.  Unfortunately, [Iran’s] officials do not pay attention to this important issue.”
In the end, the Grand Ayatollah asked the Islamic Republic to “return the lost authority to the system” by “freeing the political prisoners and removing the ban on the press…”