76. Information Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Jernegan) to Secretary of State Rusk 1

SUBJECT

  • Attempt to Assassinate the Shah

The most recent reports on the shooting incident which took place at Marble Palace in Tehran on Saturday2 morning indicate that a member of the Imperial Guard shot his way into the palace with a submachine gun in an apparent attempt to reach the Shah. Two guards and the assailant are reported killed. In announcing the incident the Government has attributed the shooting to a quarrel between a conscript soldier and a regular member of the palace guard. No mention was made of the location where the shooting took place. Tehran has remained quiet and the Shah, who was apparently in his office throughout the episode, is said to have continued with his regular appointments for the day.

Comment:

A [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] report indicates that security records disclosed no prior adverse information regarding the assailant and that it is not yet known whether or not the assassination attempt was a plot. The fact that the assailant had made a trip to Meshed in 1962 would indicate that he had probably made a religious pilgrimage to the Shrine of Imam Reza, which is customary for devout Muslims of Iran’s predominantly Shia belief. On the basis of information reported thus far, we do not anticipate any immediately significant political effect or threat to the continued maintenance of internal stability in Iran. We do not discount the possibility however that further investigation may disclose the motive for this attempt at assassination and that it may be found related to the desperate frustration of certain minority elements of the Shah’s reform opposition, which led to the recent assassination of Prime Minister Mansur.

  1. Source: Department of State, NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 489, Iran 1965, POL 23–8, Assassination Attempt—Shah. Secret. Drafted by Mulligan.
  2. April 10.