Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943

Hurley Papers

Draft Declaration on Iran

[Editorial Note.—A rough draft of a declaration on Iran was prepared by Jernegan on November 29. At Hurley’s request this draft was shortened considerably and was altered in a number of respects, one of which involved the insertion of a reference to the Atlantic Charter. The draft presented here is the draft as shortened and amended in accordance with Hurley’s suggestions. For the preparation and negotiation of this document, see the statement by Jernegan, post, p. 648, and the one by Dreyfus, post, p. 840. See also Lohbeck, pp. 215–216. The Hurley Papers also contain a draft with additional amendments. This draft as amended is the same as the final text, except that in the second paragraph it reads “primarily” where the final text reads “particularly”, in the fourth paragraph it reads “on an equal basis with” instead of “along with”, and in the final paragraph it reads “complete independence” instead of “independence”.]

[Tehran,] November 30, 1943.

Suggested Draft Declaration

The Governments of Iran, the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom, having consulted together, desire to make plain their common policy with regard to the prosecution of the war and their complete agreement with respect to the special economic questions with which the war has confronted Iran.

By subscribing to the Declaration by United Nations,¹ all four governments have already declared their joint determination to press the war to a victorious conclusion. They are further agreed that Iran can make its most useful contribution to this end by facilitating the movement of essential supplies from overseas to the U. S. S. R. and they recognize the assistance along this line which Iran has already rendered. All four governments intend to continue and intensify the cooperation in this respect which has been established. It is clearly understood that any armed forces of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom which are, or may be, established on Iranian territory are solely for the purpose of furthering the common war effort and will be withdrawn as soon as the needs of that effort permit, in accordance with the published agreements already concluded between Iran and the other three Governments.²

The four Governments are in agreement that the maximum benefit from their combined efforts can be obtained only if the essential economic needs of Iran are met, and they reaffirm their intention to cooperate closely to achieve this objective. The Governments of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom will continue to make available to the Government of Iran such financial and material assistance as may be possible, having regard to the heavy demands made upon them by their world-wide military operations and to the world-wide shortage of transport, raw materials, and supplies for civilian consumption. The four Governments will work together in planning the importation of essential goods into Iran, and, in general, they will act in close consultation with regard to all economic matters which may affect the war effort in Iran.

With respect to the post-war period, the Governments of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom are in accord with the Government of Iran that any economic problems confronting Iran at the conclusion of hostilities should receive full consideration, on an equal basis with those of other members of the United Nations, by any conferences or international agencies which may be set up to deal with international economic matters.

The Governments of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom are as one with the Government of Iran in their desire for the maintenance of the complete independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran. They count upon the participation of Iran, along with all other peace-loving nations, in the establishment of international peace, security and prosperity after the war, in accordance with the principles of the Atlantic Charter,³ to which all four Governments have subscribed.

1. For text, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. i, p. 25, or 55 Stat. (pt. 2) 1600.
2. The Anglo-Soviet-Iranian Treaty of Alliance, signed January 29, 1942, is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, vol. vi, March 21, 1942, p. 249. Correspondence on negotiations for a treaty between the United States and Iran, which would govern the stationing of American troops in Iran during the war, is scheduled to be published subsequently in another volume of the Foreign Relations series.
3. For text, see Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, p. 367, or 55 Stat. (pt. 2) 1603.