Editorial Note
On May 23 the United States entered into an agreement for mutual defense assistance to Iran by an exchange of notes between Acting Secretary Webb and Chargé Aram. The agreement provided, inter alia, that the United States would make available to Iran “such equipment, materials and services as the Government of the United States of America may authorize.” For the text of the agreement, see Department of State Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) No. 2071.
In the course of the negotiations for the agreement a secret minute was recorded which read as follows:
“In the course of discussions on the exchange of notes under the United States Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949, the representatives of the Government of the United States of America proposed the inclusion of the folio wing provisions:
- ‘The two governments recognize their mutual interest, consistent with mutual security and recovery objectives, in effective controls [Page 552] over the export of war-potential materials, equipment, and, in so far as practicable, technical data; and the two governments will consult with a view to taking measures for the accomplishment of these ends.’
The representatives of the Government of Iran have stated that the government of Iran is in full accord with the terms of this provision, and have also given assurances, on behalf of their government, of the intention of the Government of Iran of cooperating with respect to the development of satisfactory controls over such war potential exports.
In view of the assurances of the representatives of the Government of Iran of the intention of the Government of Iran to cooperate in the development of such controls, and to establish such consultative procedures, the representatives of the two governments believe that it is unnecessary to include the above quoted provision in the text of the exchange of notes under the United States Mutual Defense Assistance Act.” (788.5 MAP/5–2450)