711.91/106

The Chargé of the Soviet Union (Gromyko) to the Secretary of State

Sir: I have the honor to bring to your attention that the additional information and explanations of the United States Government, as stated in the note of June 16 [15], 194317 on the question of entrance of United States technical troops into Iran, and about the tasks of those troops, was brought to the attention of my Government, which instructed me to give you the following reply:

The Soviet Government takes into consideration the statement of the United States Government, that the technical troops of the United States Army were sent to Iran on request of the British Government, that the task of those troops is to maintain control over transport facilities in Iran under general British guidance, with the aim of increasing deliveries for the Soviet Union, and that the American Government did not desire to give the impression, that the aforesaid American troops had as their aim to support the British forces in any military sense. The Soviet Government also takes into consideration, that the status of presence of American technical troops was determined in the form of the American-Iranian Agreement. At the same time the Soviet Government understands that all rights, provided by the draft agreement between the United States and Iran, in no way affect the rights, belonging to the Soviet Union according to the Soviet-British-Iranian Treaty of Alliance of January 29, 1942.

In so far as by special agreement between the British and Soviet Governments in January–February, 1942 it was determined that the northern part of the trans-Iranian railroad be controlled by the Soviet authorities, and the southern part of the railroad be controlled by the British authorities, the Soviet Government understands that the American technical troops, not forming an independent military unit, but being part of the British Iranian-Iraq military district, and being under general British guidance, can be located in the limits of those southern districts, which in accordance with the above-mentioned agreement between the Soviet Government and the British Government were, in due course, assigned for the location of the British troops.

In accordance with the aforesaid the Soviet Government will instruct its Ambassador in Iran to inform the Iranian Government, in reply to the latter’s inquiry of December 12, 1942, that on the part of the Soviet Government there are no objections against the participation of the American technical troops in the organization of control over the southern part of the trans-Iranian railroad under the general [Page 452] British guidance, and that at the same time the Soviet Government understands that all the rights, provided in the proposed draft agreement between the United States and Iran will, of course, in no way affect the rights belonging to the Soviet Union in accordance with the Treaty of Alliance with Iran of 1942, and will also not affect the above-mentioned agreement between the British Government and the Soviet Government regarding the zones of control of the trans-Iranian railroad on the part of British and Soviet authorities.

Accept [etc.]

A. Gromyko
  1. Post, p. 466.