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

L/T Files

The Declaration on Iran

December 1, 1943

[Editorial Note.—As to the preparation and signing of the declaration, see (1) ante, pp. 619, 623, and post, pp. 648, 838, 840, 885; (2) Leahy, p. 211; (3) Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 192–193; and (4) Military Situation in the Far East, Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, 82d Congress, 1st session, part 4, p. 2833. A text described as “cabled from Tehran” is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, vol. IX, December 11, 1943, p. 409; it differs from the signed original in certain details, such as the spelling out of the abbreviated name of the Soviet Union, the addition of “of America” after “United States”, and the omission of the signatures. A Russian-language version, apparently prepared later, is printed in Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Tehran Conference, p. 68.
The signed original was transmitted to the Department of State by the White House on February 4, 1946, photostat copies having been furnished to the Department previously. White House memorandum of November 18, 1944, to the Secretary of State, 891.00/11–1844; White House memorandum of April 19, 1945, Roosevelt Papers; Leahy’s letter of February 4, 1946, to the Secretary of State, 740.0011 EW 1939/2–446 (none printed).]
To be released to the Press
8:00 p.m. Moscow Time
December 6, 1943

Dec. 1, 1943.¹

Declaration of the Three Powers Regarding Iran²

The President of the United States, the Premier of the U. S. S. R., and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, having consulted with each other and with the Prime Minister of Iran,³ desire to declare the mutual agreement of their three Governments regarding their relations with Iran.

The Governments of the United States, the U. S. S, R., and the United Kingdom recognize the assistance which Iran has given in the prosecution of the war against the common enemy, particularly by facilitating the transportation of supplies from overseas to the Soviet Union.

The Three Governments realize that the war has caused special economic difficulties for Iran, and they are agreed that they will continue to make available to the Government of Iran such economic 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.

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 close of hostilities should receive full consideration, along with those of other members of the United Nations, by conferences⁴ or international agencies held or created to deal with international economic matters.⁵

The Governments of the United States, the U. S. S. R., and the United Kingdom are at⁶ one with the Government of Iran in their desire for the maintenance of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran. They count upon the participation of Iran, together 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,⁷ to which all four Governments have subscribed.

Winston S. Churchill
И. СТАЛИН⁸
Franklin D. Roosevelt

1. On the signed original, the typewritten date “November 30” is crossed out, and “Dec. 1” is substituted, in a handwriting believed to be Churchill’s. See testimony of Patrick J. Hurley, Military Situation in the Far East, part 4, p. 2834. See also Lohbeck, p. 491.
2. On the signed original, the typewritten heading is “Suggested Draft Declaration”. The words “Suggested Draft” are crossed out, and the words “of the Three Powers regarding Iran” are added after the word “Declaration”, in a handwriting believed to be Churchill’s.
3. The Shah and the Prime Minister (Ali Soheili) had conferred with the three Heads of Government successively on November 30, 1943. See ante, p. 564.
4. In the signed original, the word “any”, typed between the words “by” and “conferences”, is crossed out, presumably by Churchill; see Hurley’s testimony, cited on p. 646, footnote 1.
5. The following two developments concerning postwar American economic aid to Iran occurred during Roosevelt’s stay at Tehran: (1) On December 1, 1943, Roosevelt conferred with Millspaugh and received a letter from him on the subject; see ante, pp. 469, 629; (2) On December 2, before leaving Tehran, Roosevelt outlined to Hurley what Hurley described as “a tentative basis for American policy in Iran which might be used as a pattern for our relations with all less favored associate nations”; letter from Hurley to Roosevelt, December 21, 1943 (copies sent to the Department of State by Hurley, December 21, 1943, and by Roosevelt, January 12, 1944), 123 Hurley, Patrick J./126½ and 891.00/3037. The Hurley letter of December 21, which elaborated on the basic idea outlined by Roosevelt, is printed in part in Military Situation in the Far East, part 4, p. 2845. For Roosevelt’s reply, dated March 25, 1944, see ibid., p. 2846.
6. In the signed original, this word is typed as “as”, and the “s” is changed to a “t”, in a handwriting believed to be Churchill’s.
7. For text, see Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, p. 367, or 55 Stat. (pt. 2) 1603.
8. I. Stalin.