891.24/237
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by Mr. John D. Jernegan of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs
The Minister19 said that he had just received a telegram from his Government inquiring about the plans of the United States Government [Page 296] with respect to a Lend-Lease agreement with Iran. The Minister, therefore, asked me to ascertain definitely whether it is necessary to conclude a formal agreement before Lend-Lease operations can be begun, whether it is proposed to begin negotiation of an agreement in the near future, and where such negotiations would be carried on, in Washington or in Tehran.
I said that it was my understanding that Lend-Lease shipments could be made without awaiting conclusion of an agreement, but that I felt quite sure it was planned to negotiate such an agreement with Iran in due course, probably along the lines of those which had been signed with Great Britain20 and a number of other countries in recent months. I said, however, that I would confirm this understanding and inform the Minister in order that he might advise his Government.
- The Iranian Minister.↩
- Signed February 23, 1942; for text, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 241, or 56 Stat. (pt. 2) 1433; for correspondence on this subject, see vol. i, pp. 525 ff.↩