501.BC/4–446: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
35. The Security Council, at a 95–minute meeting on Thursday, April 4,75 agreed on a solution to the Iranian question. The vote was 9–0 with Australia abstaining.
With the Soviet delegate still absent, the session was called to order at 11:10 a.m. by the Chairman, Dr. Quo Tai-Chi. The agenda was adopted without comment. Hussein Ala, Iranian Ambassador, was invited to take a seat at the Council table.
U. S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes submitted a resolution,76 which deferred action on the Iranian issue until May 6, 1946, under the following conditions:
- 1.
- That the Council note the statements of the Iranian representative that the appeal to the Council arises from the presence of Soviet troops in Iran and their continued presence there beyond the date stipulated for their withdrawal in the Tripartite Treaty of January 29, 1942.
- 2.
- That the Council note the responses on April 3, 1946, of the Soviet and Iranian Governments77 pursuant to the Secretary General’s request for information as to the status of negotiations between the two Governments, and as to whether the withdrawal of Soviet troops was conditioned upon agreement on other subjects.
- 3.
- That the Council, in particular, note and rely upon the assurances of the Soviet Government that the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Iran has already commenced and that Russia expects that the complete evacuation of its troops from the whole of Iran will be accomplished within 5 or 6 weeks.
- 4.
- That the Council note that the proposals under negotiation between the Iranian and Soviet Governments are not connected with the withdrawal of Soviet troops.
- 5.
- That the Council is solicitous to avoid any possibility of the presence of Soviet troops in Iran being used to influence the course of negotiations between the two Governments.
- 6.
- That the Council recognizes that the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the whole of Iran cannot be completed in a substantially shorter period of time than that within which the Soviet Government has declared it to be its intention to complete such withdrawal.
The resolution also provides that the Soviet and Iranian Governments shall report to the Council on May 6 whether or not the withdrawal of all Soviet troops from the whole of Iran has been completed, and that the Council will then decide what, if any, further proceedings on the Iranian appeal are required.
The resolution left the way open for the Council to consider at any time, as the first item on its agenda, reports from any member of the Security Council on developments which may retard or threaten to retard the prompt withdrawal of Soviet troops from Iran.
In support of his proposal Byrnes said that it spoke for itself, but pointed out that it rested upon his earlier suggestion that the Soviet and Iranian Governments should be communicated with through their representatives. He added that he had stated then that if the Council were able to ascertain adequate and exact information as to the status of the negotiations, the Council might be able to satisfy itself that the assurances of the Soviet Government as to the prompt withdrawal of troops from Iran were in fact, for all practical purposes, unconditional.
Egypt, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Poland, Mexico and France, in the order named, voiced support for the proposal and praised the course followed by the U.S. Secretary, before Australia announced that it would refrain from voting on the resolution.
The Australian delegate took exception to the procedure followed by the Council and to what he termed an incomplete investigation of the facts in the Iranian question. He said that the case posed a challenge [Page 409] to the Council and that, in his opinion, the Council did not face the challenge. In stating that he would refrain from voting, the Australian delegate said that he was reserving the right to call for an investigation of all facts on May 6.
The Netherlands delegate endorsed the resolution, paid tribute to Secretary Byrnes and disagreed with the Australian delegate, stating that he did not believe the Council shirked its duties under the charter.
Chairman Quo, speaking for China, also endorsed the resolution and paid tribute to Secretary Byrnes for his valuable contribution to the Council.
On a show of hands vote only Australia abstained from supporting the resolution.
Chairman Quo then called on the Iranian representative. Ala said that the fundamental problem was to have all foreign troops removed from Iran. He added that the people of Iran were willing to accept the Soviet pledge, as the Security Council had, that its troops would be withdrawn unconditionally by May 6. Once this is accomplished, Ala said that he believed the Iranian Government will be able to negotiate with the Soviet Union on other questions.
Ala praised the Council for its firmness and courage. He said that the Council action already had instilled a feeling of confidence among the smaller nations, and concluded that the results achieved have significance of permanent value and that Iran has received something from the Council which it could not have obtained alone.
Secretary Byrnes expressed appreciation for the adoption of his resolution and said that he was happy to hear the Iranian representative agree to the solution. He added that the withdrawal of troops from Iran without condition was the only sane method to follow. The U.S. Secretary concluded by expressing the opinion that the United Nations today was truly a center for harmonizing international differences.
[Here follow discussions of matters other than the Iranian question.]
[The Ambassador in the Soviet Union, Walter Bedell Smith, interviewed Generalissimo Stalin on April 4. The question of Iran was one of the matters discussed; for Ambassador Smith’s report on the interview, see telegram 1053, April 5, 6 p.m., from Moscow, volume VI, page 732.]