415. Staff Summary Supplement Prepared in the Department of State1
693. Iranian Desire for Bahrein—The Shah of Iran has expressed to our Ambassador in Tehran his belief that the US does not fully appreciate the importance which Iran attaches to the “recovery of its rightful sovereignty over Bahrein.”2 The Shah said that he would be glad to let Britain (as a friendly power in the Baghdad Pact) continue its base there and would guarantee full freedom of operation for the Canadian-registered oil company, even though everyone knew the reserves at Bahrein would be exhausted in ten years. He indicated that he could not understand why Britain insists upon keeping this piece of land which to them is worthless but whose recovery lay in the very heart of Persian national aspirations. He said the return of Bahrein would go far to promote in Iran the popularity of the UK and other Western countries since it would be a rectification of a wrong done to Iran.
The Shah brushed aside our Ambassador’s suggestion that perhaps the Iranian legal claim was not as sound as he thought it was. He also dismissed Arab protests as inconsequential and unfounded and wondered if the Iraqi protests had not been British-inspired. He concluded by expressing the hope that the US would understand his position although he accepted the statement by our Ambassador that the matter was not one of direct concern to the US.3
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. Initialed by Eisenhower.↩
- As reported in telegram 1166; see footnote 6, supra.↩
- On December 19, the Counselor of the Iranian Embassy in Washington pressed the Iranian claim to Bahrein with Jones in the course of a meeting on another subject. Jones advised the Iranian Counselor that “Iran would do well to consider its legal case before pressing it before any international body or tribunal.” (Memorandum of conversation by Ashford, December 19; Department of State, Central Files, 788.022/12–1957)↩