Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 864 › Conversation 864-007
Nixon, Helms & Kissinger on Iran and Oman
Tuesday, February 27, 1973 · 4:37 PM–5:19 PM ET · Oval Office · 40 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with CIA Director Richard Helms and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to discuss several critical foreign policy issues. Key topics included the Shah of Iran's potential visit to the US, the ongoing situation in Oman, and Israel's weapon requests, with particular attention to air power. The conversation also touched upon the complexities of the Vietnam settlement, including ceasefire violations and POW releases, and the strategic importance of oil and US relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran.
- Iran
- Oman
- Israel
- Vietnam War
- POWs
- Oil
- Saudi Arabia
- Shah of Iran
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 20.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 34.9 MB
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On February 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Richard M. Helms, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:37 pm to 5:19 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 864-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 864-7
Date: February 27, 1973
Time: 4:37 pm-5:19 pm
Location: Oval Office
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
The President met with Richard M. Helms.
Departure for Iran
Rose Mary Woods
Paper on Israel
-Helms’s view
-US position
-Leverage
Israel’s weapon requests
-Planes
-Golda Meir
-Necessity
-Air power capacities
-Compared to 1967 war
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration 19s]
WEAPONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
******************************************************************************
Golda Meir
Prime Minister of Iran [Premier] Amir Abbas Hoveida
-News summary
-Jack Anderson story
-Helms
Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi
-Helm’s appointment as Ambassador to Iran
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Reaction
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 12s]
US-IRAN RELATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
******************************************************************************
Shah of Iran
-Helms
-Complimentary appointment
-Visit to US
-Scheduling
-December
-May, June
-Empress Farah Diba
-Public relations [PR]
-Camp David
-Demonstrations
-Scheduling
-Oil
-Meeting with Helms
-Relationship with US
-Specialness
-Relationship with Helms
-Visit to US
-Diba
-Dinner in San Clemente
-Camp David
-State dinner
-Camp David
-Facilities
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Visit to New York
-Oil talks [?]
-Progress
Henry A. Kissinger entered at 4:45 pm.
John B. Connally
-Visit to Iran
-Talk with Helms
-President’s request
Shah of Iran
-Visit to US
-Scheduling
-Africans
-Kissinger
Sese Seko Mobutu
-Patrol boats
-Congo region
-Communists
-Trade for fire boats
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National security]
[Duration: 20s]
CONTACTS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO.3
******************************************************************************
Aden, Yemen
-Cubans
-Pilots, technicians
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
Pakistan
-Role of Iran
-US aid
-Iran
-Spare parts
-Morale
-Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
-Mrs. Bhutto
-Hong Kong newspaper
-Cable
-Beauty
Gulf states
Iran
-Diplomatic post
-Excitement
-Compared with Europe
-Berlin, Bonn
-East Europe
Middle East
-Persian Gulf
-Kissinger’s talk with Hussein ibn Talal [Hussein, King of Jordan]
-Oman
-Difficulties
-Helms’s viewpoint
-State Department telegrams
-Use of back channels
Oman
-Army
-Dhofar region
-Iran’s role
-Sale of helicopters
-Saudi Arabia’s role
-Sale of helicopters
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Financing
-State Department
-Foreign Military Sales Act compared with grant aid
-Congress
Iraq
-Relations with French and Dutch
-Impact on Iran and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
-Ambassador
-Nicholas G. Thacher
-Career service
-Oil reserves
-Compared with Iran
-American consortium
-Share of market
-Compared with Iran
-Importance to US
-Competition with Britain, France, and Japan
-Solution
-Ambassador
Prisoners of war [POWs]
-North Vietnamese Statements
-Compliance with cease-fire agreement
-Messages
-Cease-fire violations
-South Vietnam
Cease-fire violations
-Nguyen van Thieu
-North Vietnam
-Infiltrations
-US reactions
Oil problem
-Need to have oil advisor in White House
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Helm’s recommendation
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National security]
[Duration: 3s]
OIL
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
******************************************************************************
Oil problem
-Oil advisor
-Thomas C. Barger
-Arabian-American Oil Company [ARAMCO]
-Recommendations
-Otto Miller
-Caltex
-John A. McCone
-Qualifications
-Retired to South Carolina; La Jolla, California
-Experience
-Alternative energy sources
-Oil sheiks
-Edward Teller
-Advice
-Ideas
-Nuclear, shale
-Charles J. DiBona
-Teller
-Problems
Iran
-State visit
-Helms
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Return to US
-Report
-John A.Volpe [?]
Iran
-Visit by President
-Embassy
-Accommodations
-Compared with US embassy in Japan
-Visit by President when out of office in 1967
-Women
Helms left at 4:59 pm.
Vietnam settlement
-Cease-fire agreement
Press conference
-President’s attendance
-Kissinger’s advice
-Rhetoric
-Cessation of bombing
North Vietnamese complaints
-Validity
-Cease-fire violations
-Government of Vietnam [GVN] [South Vietnam]
-Joint Military Commission
-Kissinger’s telegram to Thieu
-Dissolution
-Accommodations
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Message to North Vietnam
-Talks with South Vietnam
-Bunker
-US response
-Mining
-POWs
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Public relations
-Resolution of problem
Press conference
-President’s appearance
-President’s view
-Questions
-Aid to Vietnam
-Thieu
North Vietnam’s statements
-POWs
-Delay of release
-Economic Commission
-US delay
-Reply to Kissinger’s message on mining
-Toughness
-Economic Commission
-Kissinger’s reply
-Economic Commission
-Two-track method
-South Vietnam
Vietnam settlement
-Kissinger’s view
-POWs
-Movement
-Kissinger’s talk with William H. Sullivan
-William P. Rogers
-Conference
-Kissinger’s talk with George R. S. Baring [Earl of Cromer]
-House of Commons
-Sir Alexander F. (“Alec”) Douglas-Home
-Attendance at international conference on Vietnam
-Rogers
-Public relations
-International conference on Vietnam
-Credit
-17-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Douglas-Home, Nguyen Duy Trinh
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Message
-POWs
-US response
-Reaction to delays
-Aid to Vietnam
-Stories
-Effect
-Public statements
-Kissinger’s message
-December 1972 bombing
-Effect
-Compared with private talks
-Ultimatum
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Summit
-Handling
-State Department
-Rogers
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
International conference on Vietnam
-President’s public pronouncements
-List of POWs
-Scheduled release dates
Vietnam settlement
-Cease-fire violations
-Thieu
-Laos
-Infiltration
-North and South Vietnam
-Thieu’s actions
-POWs
-US aid to South Vietnam
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
The Earl of Cromer
-Story about Vietnam
-Departure from post
-Lady Cromer
-Common market post
Vietnam settlement
-Length
-US goal
-Stability
-Timing
Vietnam
-Public awareness
-Waning interest
-POWs
-Troops
South Vietnam
-Number of US advisors
-Civilian, economic, military
-Survival
-Settlement agreement
-Number of US advisors
-Reduction
-News summary
Helms
-Job as ambassador
Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-James R. Schlesinger
-Shake up
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National security]
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
[Duration: 1m 22s]
CIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
******************************************************************************
CIA
-Office of Strategic Services [OSS]
-Age
International conference on Vietnam
-USSR, PRC reactions
-France
-Georges J. R. Pompidou
-North Vietnam
-Canada
-Pierre E. Trudeau
-Relations with US
-North Vietnam
-National recognition
-Peace settlement
-Kissinger’s message
-Joint Economic Commission
-Thieu
-Paris
-Delivery
-Timing
-Tone
-POWs
-Return
-North Vietnam’s response
-Contents
-Col. Bui Tin’s statement
-Four-power military commission
-Unofficial
-Testing US
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 864-7 (cont’d)
-Military operations
-Laos
-Response to Saigon’s initiatives
-Civilian prisoners
Civilian prisoners
-Number released
-Convicts
-Amnesty
-Cadres
-Number released
-Disappearances
-Numbers
-Thieu
-Responsibility
-Effects on US
-Nguyen Thi Binh
-Foreign Minister of Provisional Revolutionary Government of South
Vietnam
-Capital
-GVN
-Territory
-Civilian prisoners
-Hanoi’s embarrassment
Kissinger left at 5:19 pm.Also recorded on February 27, 1973
- 864-001 3:46 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 3:55 pm.
- 864-002 3:46 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 3:55 pm.
- 864-003 3:46 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 3:55 pm.
- 864-004 3:55 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John W. Dean, III, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:55 pm to 4:20 pm.
- 864-005 4:21 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Peter M. Flanigan, Luigi Raimondi, White House photographer, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:21 pm to 4:36 pm.
- 864-006 4:36 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and David C. Hoopes met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:36 pm and 4:37 pm.
- 864-008 5:19 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:19 pm and 5:21 pm.
- 864-009 5:21 PM · 1 hr 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Patricia R. Hitt, John D. Ehrlichman, White House photographer, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:21 pm to 6:35 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 864-007, February 27, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/864-007 (accessed October 1, 2026).