891.00/1854: Telegram
The Minister in Iran ( Dreyfus ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:16 p.m.]
95. Prime Minister yesterday in conference with Ambassador Standley6 reiterated Iran’s desire to continue friendly relations with United States and expressed hope that American help in form of advances and goods would be forthcoming now and in period after war. An indication of Iran’s friendship he said was to be found in decision to return schools7 and action now being taken to expel Japanese Legation which Iranian Government had refused to do at British request several months ago. He stated that he will instruct his Ambassador to Russia to cooperate closely with Standley as he did with Steinhardt8 and that he himself will keep in close touch with me. He evinced little concern over situation in southern Iran where police and Government are functioning but believed situation in Russian occupied areas in north where police and other authorities are not permitted to operate gives definite cause for alarm. He expressed belief that tribes in north are loyal with exception of Kurds whose disaffection and susceptibility to Soviet influence might offer an eventual excuse for Soviets to take over region.9 Iranian Government he declared is concerned about status of northern Iran after war but in this regard places great confidence in Atlantic Charter.10
He ended by asking Standley to bear above points in mind in his dealings with Russia.
- Adm. William H. Standley, Ambassador to the Soviet Union.↩
- For correspondence on the resumption of American mission schools in Iran, see Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. iii, pp. 374 ff.↩
- Laurence A. Steinhardt, Ambassador in Turkey, former Ambassador in the Soviet Union.↩
- For correspondence on this subject, see pp. 318 ff.↩
- Joint statement by President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill August 14, 1941, Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, p. 367.↩