Rafsanjani Sworn In but Faces Crisis on First Day

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Hashemi Rafsanjani was sworn in Thursday as Iran’s president and pledged to continue the 10-year-old Islamic revolution. But he faced a crisis on his first day in office: the threat of U.S. retaliation over hostages in Lebanon.

At a ceremony in a mosque attached to the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s home in north Tehran, Rafsanjani’s voice shook with emotion as he promised to follow in the footsteps of the revolutionary patriarch, who died June 3.

“Despite the propaganda coming from the arrogant world powers, our people will not accept anything but the continuation of this path, which is the path of Islam and the Koran,” he told religious and government leaders in a speech carried by Tehran Radio.

He did not mention the hostage issue.

Won 94.5% of Vote

Rafsanjani, 54, a middle-ranking clergyman from a wealthy pistachio-growing family in southern Iran, captured 94.5% of the vote in the July 28 election to become the Islamic republic’s fifth head of state.

He will wield considerably more power than did his predecessors under constitutional reforms approved by 97% of voters in a referendum. The reforms abolish the post of prime minister, currently held by Hussein Moussavi, and allow the president to appoint and fire Cabinet ministers.

But Rafsanjani, said to be eager to improve ties with the West, is being tested almost immediately by the hostage crisis.

Lebanese terrorists, who said they hanged U.S. Marine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins this week, threatened to execute another American hostage, Joseph J. Cicippio, if Israel does not release a kidnaped Muslim clergyman.

President Bush said he is using every possible diplomatic channel to resolve the hostage crisis, while “prudently planning” for military action if Cicippio is killed.

U.S. Message to Iran

An Administration official said a message sent indirectly to Iran had said in substance, “If anything happens to the hostages, we hold you responsible.”

State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler said the United States was pleased with a statement Tuesday by Rafsanjani condemning the killing of Higgins and all acts of terrorism.

Rafsanjani is believed to want to erase Iran’s image as a sponsor of international terrorism.

Despite his sweeping victory, Rafsanjani may have to proceed carefully, particularly in dealing with the West, to avoid an open break with powerful radicals dedicated to preserving the ideological purity of Khomeini’s revolution.

The Tehran Times said Thursday that the West should follow the example of the French, who “succeeded in winning release of their hostages in Beirut because they made an honorable deal.”

All French hostages in Lebanon were released in 1987. Rafsanjani has previously linked using Iran’s influence to free American hostages to release of Iranian assets frozen by the United States.