701.9111/521
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)
In conversation yesterday afternoon with the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires he took great pains to emphasize to me that the decision of his Government to withdraw all Iranian representatives in this country and to close the Iranian Legation in Washington would not in any way affect the status of our Legation in Teheran. He explained that in withdrawing Iranian representation in this country the Shah had desired to indicate his displeasure over the attitude of the American press towards himself personally and towards Iran in general. Since the Shah was not in any way displeased with the American Legation in Teheran, the Iranian Government would continue, as in the past, to have most friendly relations with that Legation and to conduct business with it as usual. I inferred, in fact, from the Iranian Chargé’s remarks that his Government would be displeased if we took any steps to reduce the present status of our representation in Iran.
It is clear from the above that the present action of the Iranian Government cannot in any way be regarded as a severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It is solely a unilateral act on the part of the Iranian Government to give emphasis to the Shah’s displeasure over the attitude of the American press.