Australia to leave Tehran post vacant;

April 15, 1980

Australia decided Monday not to appoint a new ambassador to Iran while the US hostage crisis remains unresolved. Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock, in a statement after a Cabinet review of Australia's relations with Iran, said Australia was likely to take further measures if the situation did not change.

Australian Ambassador Marshall Johnston finished his tour of duty in Tehran last month and returned home, but Mr. Peacock said that if there had

Mr. Peacock said the government had decided to withdraw the Australian trade commissioner now in Tehran, but later considered that there was a strong case for maintaining Australian representation there to keep open a channel for pressing Canberra's views on the Iranian authorities.