501.BC/5–846: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
158. Security Council. The Security Council at its 40th meeting Wednesday, May 8,25 unanimously adopted a U.S.-sponsored resolution deferring further proceedings on the Iranian question in order that the Government of Iran may have time in which to ascertain whether all Soviet troops have been withdrawn from the whole of Iran. The Soviet Union was not represented at this session.
Mr. Stettinius was accompanied by Herschel Johnson, his recently appointed deputy,26 who arrived in New York yesterday.
Following adoption of the provisional agenda, Chairman Hafez Afifi Pasha called on Mr. Stettinius. The latter pointed out that the Security Council in its resolution of April 4 requested the USSR and Iran to report to the Council on May 6 whether the withdrawal of all Soviet troops from the whole of Iran had been completed. He said that the Soviet Government had not complied with the request and Iran has replied only in a preliminary manner, but apparently as fully as conditions have permitted.
Mr. Stettinius called attention to the Iranian statement that it would report to the Council on the true state of affairs in Azerbaijan as soon as it was able to ascertain the facts through its own official representatives before introducing the following resolution:27
“Resolved: That in view of the statement made by the Iranian Government in its preliminary report of May 6, submitted in compliance with the resolution of April 4, 1946, that it was not able as of May 6 to state whether the withdrawal of all Soviet troops from the whole of Iran had been completed, the Council defer further proceedings on the Iranian matter in order that the government of Iran may have time in which to ascertain through its official representatives whether all Soviet troops have been withdrawn from the whole of Iran; that the Iranian government be requested to submit a complete report on the subject to the Security Council immediately upon the receipt of the information which will enable it so to do; and that in [Page 457] case it is unable to obtain such information by May 20, it report on that day such information as is available to it at that time; and that immediately following the receipt from the Iranian Government of the report requested, the Council shall consider what if any further proceedings are required.”
[Here follow comments by various delegates on the resolution, and discussion of matters other than the Iranian question.]
- For the official record of the proceedings of the Security Council on May 8, see SC, 1st yr., 1st ser., No. 2, pp. 246–252.↩
- Herschel V. Johnson was appointed to this position on April 23, 1946.↩
- For Mr. Stettinius’ statement and text of the resolution, see SC, 1st yr., 1st ser., No. 2, p. 247, or Department of State Bulletin, May 19, 1946, p. 853.↩