891.00/12–2145: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)

2611. Secdel33 31. Iranian Ambassador called at Dept last night and said with great emotion and earnestness that his Govt looked solely to US to save rest of Soviet zone from same fate that has befallen Azerbaijan. He added that Iran simply could not survive if it lost that portion under Soviet control.

Ambassador said he was speaking not only in interest of Iran but of world security since Azerbaijan was only first move in a series which would include Turkey and other countries in Near East. He went on to say that if strong stand were not taken now, the United Nations Organization would lose all significance as an instrument for preserving a peace based on justice, history of Manchuria, Abyssinia, and Munich would be repeated and Azerbaijan would prove to have been first shot fired in third world war.

Acheson
  1. Code designation of telegrams sent to the delegation of the Secretary of State at the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers.