Iran's foreign minister says the "positive trend" toward freeing Western hostages in Lebanon will continue if Israel is pressured to release its Arab captives.
Israel, however, insisted Sunday that it get information on seven of its servicemen missing in Lebanon before it releases anyone.Despite the tough stances on either side, there was evidence of more high-level effort toward ending the ordeal of the 11 Western hostages, including five Americans.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati met in Tehran Sunday with Abbas Musawi, the head of Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian umbrella organization for groups holding the hostages.
It refocused attention on Tehran's high-profile role in the hostage crisis. Iran was reportedly influential in securing the release this month of three Western hostages in Lebanon, including one American.
Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has called for the hostages to be freed, also attended the meeting with Musawi, Iranian radio said in a report monitored by the British Broadcasting Corp.
The dispatch did not say that they discussed the 11 Western hostages in Lebanon. But Iran has emerged as a key player in the intensive negotiations for their release.
Iran's Velayati urged visiting representatives of the European Parliament to pressure Israel.
"There is now a positive trend under way for the freedom of the hostages, and Israel should be brought under pressure to release the Lebanese and Palestinians it holds as hostages," he said in remarks carried by Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency.
"It seems that if this is done the positive process will continue," Velayati added.
Velayati reiterated Iran's desire to resolve the hostage issue. He said the efforts of U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar to resolve the crisis were positive and expressed hope they would suc-ceed.
The spiritual leader of Hezbollah said Sunday the pressure on Israel should come from the United States.
"The ball is in the Americans' court," Sheik Mohammed Fadlallah said in an interview with the French television network Antenne-2.