740.0011 E.W./3–1545: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Iran (Morris)
129. Iranian affairs were not discussed by President Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin at the Crimean Conference but were touched on briefly during meetings between Eden, Molotov and Stettinius.20 Eden introduced a paper21 suggesting that the three Powers agree not to seek oil concessions in Iran while foreign troops remained on Iranian soil. Stettinius supported Eden, but Molotov declared that the tension had eased in Iran and there was consequently no necessity for the three Powers to enter into the Iranian question at Yalta. Molotov added that Russia reserved the right to reopen the question of a concession direct with the Iranian Government whenever the Soviet Government considered appropriate.
If you are approached on the subject by the Iranian authorities, you are authorized to say that Iranian affairs were discussed briefly by the foreign ministers and that while there was no indication that the Soviet Government had abandoned its hope of obtaining an oil concession, there was no question of any disagreement on the maintenance of integrity and independence of Iran as set forth in the Declaration of Tehran.
Dept understands that British Ambassador22 is being instructed in a similar vein.
Sent to Tehran, repeated to Moscow and London.
- For record of this discussion on February 8, 1945, see Conferences at Malta and Yalta, pp. 738–740.↩
- Ibid., p. 819.↩
- The British Ambassador in Iran, Sir Reader Bullard.↩