Tehran Post Files: 710: Allied Troops in Iran
The Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson) to the Ambassador in Iran (Murray)
Dear Wallace: I have read with interest your telegram no. 768, September 25, 1945, and fully agree with your analysis of the situation described in it and with your suggestions.
In this connection, you may be interested in reading the attached memorandum which I sent to Mr. Acheson several days ago.31
I may add that we here are extremely anxious to have all American armed forces evacuated from Iran at the earliest possible moment. We do not believe that we would be justified in detaining any of them merely for the purposes of our convenience or to guard American property. We doubt the justification for keeping armed forces in a country with which we maintain friendly relations in order to guard American government property. It seems to us that if it would be proper to maintain soldiers in a foreign country to protect American property, it would be just as proper to send them into a country for that purpose. We are inclined to agree that the withdrawal of our forces should be carried out in an orderly manner and that until our forces are withdrawn, they should be charged with the protection of American government property. We cannot, however, support an idea of maintaining American troops for months in Iran or elsewhere for the sole purpose of protecting American government property. If we try to do this, we are giving the Russians, it seems to us, an excuse to keep a certain number of Russian troops in northern Iran for any purpose which might meet the convenience of the Soviet Union.
Similarly, we are not happy at the thought of maintaining American armed forces for any long period in Abadan in order to operate the airfield there. It seems to us that the Army should, regardless of the inconvenience which it might cause us, make arrangements at Abadan, with the consent of the Iranian and British authorities, to convert it into a civilian-operated airfield until such time as it can be closed down altogether.
We are afraid that if we do not exercise care, we, rather than the Russians or the British, will be most vulnerable to the accusation that we are maintaining armed forces in Iran after the purpose for which these forces entered the country has ceased to exist.
I would appreciate any comments which you might have to make with regard to our line of thinking as summarized above.
I hope that by the time this letter reaches you the vexatious problem of the Schwarzkopf mission will have been decided favorably. [Page 424] We would certainly dislike to see that mission terminated. Nevertheless, we do not feel that we can insist upon its remaining there if you and Colonel Schwarzkopf feel that in the circumstances it cannot carry on effectively.
With kindest personal regards,
Sincerely,