World: The Odyssey of Ibrahim Yazdi

In postrevolutionary Iran, proximity to Ayatullah Khomeini probably counts more than any formal title. By that standard, few in the country carry more clout than Foreign Minister Ibrahim Yazdi, 47. An aide to Khomeini during the Ayatullah's exile in France, Yazdi returned to Tehran on the 747 that brought Khomeini home in triumph, and became Deputy Prime Minister for Revolutionary Affairs in the provisional government of Mehdi Bazargan. Although he gave up that post when he took over the Foreign Ministry, most Tehran observers believe that Yazdi's star is still ascending. A resident of the U.S. for 18 years, Yazdi has...