Iran gives hijackers permission to leave

Iranian officials gave the four gunmen holding 16 hostages aboard a hijacked French airliner in Tehran permission to leave Tuesday after a deadline for a French reply to their demands passed without incident. The destination was not immediately disclosed.

The hijackers had threatened to kill the seven French crew members of the Air France Boeing 727 if France did not agree to withdraw its troops from Chad and Lebanon, end military and economic aid to Iraq, and free Arab prisoners in French jails.