Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The British Commonwealth; The Near East and Africa, Volume III

740.0011 European War 1939/14412: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, August 26, 1941—5 p.m.
[Received August 27—12:26 p.m.]

1580. The Moscow newspapers today publish the full text of the note handed by Molotov⁹⁸ to the Iranian Ambassador in Moscow on the morning of August 25 announcing that by virtue of article 6 of the Soviet-Iranian Treaty of 1921,⁹⁹ Soviet troops were temporarily entering the territory of Iran for the purpose of self-defense. It is presumed that the full text of this lengthy note has been published in the American newspapers or has otherwise been brought to the Department’s attention.

A brief Tass despatch from Tiflis is also published stating that on the morning of August 25 Soviet troops crossed the frontier and advanced 40 miles toward Ardebil and Tabriz and that the advance was continuing. No reference was made in the despatch to opposition by Iranian forces.

Steinhardt

98. V. M. Molotov, Soviet People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs.
99. Signed at Moscow, February 26, 1921; for text, see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. ix, p. 383.