Office of the Historian

811.24591/8–845: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Iran (Murray)75

Washington, August 9, 1945—4 p.m.

418. Urtels 583, 590 and 594. While withdrawal of American troops from Tehran is not conditioned upon withdrawal of Russian or British forces, the three Governments have agreed that Allied troops should be withdrawn from Iran and that further stages of the withdrawal should be considered at the meeting of the Council of Foreign [Page 392] Ministers to be held in London in September 1945. It would consequently seem natural and appropriate for representatives of the three powers in Tehran to consult together to schedule evacuation. Consequently, American participation in an Anglo-Soviet-American Commission for this purpose, as suggested by the British, is approved.

Byrnes

  1. In a memorandum of August 9, 1945, to Assistant Secretary of State Dunn, the Deputy Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Allen) stated: “Wallace Murray had no report on what happened at Potsdam and was consequently cautious about our joining with the British and the Russians. However, we can now correct the impression which the British gave the Iranian Govt (that only the British and Russians agreed to withdraw from Tehran). NEA feels that since the U.S. was a party to the agreement to withdraw, it might seem strange if we refused to consult on an evacuation schedule.

    Wallace Murray naturally would like to find some way to keep our troops in Tehran as long as possible but Pres. Truman has committed us and we must go along without any show of hesitation. We think the telegram No. 418 should go, if you concur in the above reasoning.” (811.24591/8–845) The Assistant Secretary initialed the telegram. For President Truman’s directive that United States troops be withdrawn from Tehran within 60 days, see his memorandum of July 27 to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army (Marshall), Conference of Berlin (Potsdam), vol. ii, p. 1394.

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