891.00/12–1545: Telegram

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

1135. Foreign Office has replied to questions raised in Dept’s 669, Dec. 3 with voluminous document16 which constitutes a thorough indictment of Soviet activities in Northern Iran since the Soviet occupation in Aug 1941. While a great deal of space has been wasted in dealing with petty instances of isolated cases of interference by Soviet officials, document on whole is first thorough presentation of Iranian case Embassy has seen on part of Iran Govt. Briefly to Dept’s numbered questions answers are as follow:

1.
Yes, there has been open and repeated Soviet interference with movement of Iranian security forces in northern Iran.
2.
Present Iranian security forces in northwestern Iran are not capable of insuring order in Kurdistan or Azerbaijan. In Khorasan, Mazanderan, and Gilan gendarmerie is capable of maintaining order.
3.
Yes, orders have been issued to Iranian forces in northern Iran to take steps to put down rebellion but have been thwarted by Soviet continuously. (This part of note is extremely lengthy and well documented with specific instances.)
4.
The meeting of the Popular Assembly at Tabriz on Nov. 20–21 has no sanction in Iranian law and since it resulted in disorder in Azerbaijan, it is a direct infringement of the security of the state and a violation of article 21 of the Constitution. Public security officials are duty bound to stop such meetings but interference of Soviet officials has prevented them from discharging their duties.
5.
While information on subject is not good, it appears legally appointed officials in north are being replaced by persons whose appointments do not have legal sanction of Iran Govt. Foreign Office is uninformed as to whether Soviets have entered into official relations with democrat appointed authorities.

Foreign Office has handed copy of this document to British Embassy who desire to release it to press. Embassy has replied it cannot authorize release without clearance of Dept and Iran Govt.17

Sent Department 1135, repeated Moscow 341 and London 135.

Murray
  1. Sent to the Embassy by the Iranian Foreign Office on December 13; copy transmitted to the Department in despatch 189, December 17, 1945, not printed.
  2. In telegram 737, December 19, 1945, 8 p.m., the Ambassador in Iran was informed: “Dept considers it would be inadvisable for any document to be made public just now by the Iranian Govt or by the Brit Emb which would contain any indication of the type of information which we have been seeking to obtain with regard to the situation in Iran. (Deptel 669, Dec. 3 [see p. 472].) If it is considered advisable by the Iranian Govt to have published any of the information which it has given to us, the release should contain no reference to any expressions of interest on our part in obtaining such information.” (891.00/12–1545)