740.0011 European War 1939/14417: Telegram

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

Moscow, August 27, 1941-6 p. m. [Received 9 p. m.]

1586. For the President, the Secretary and Under Secretary. The Turkish Ambassador 3a called on me this afternoon and, at the request of the Iranian Ambassador, whom he had just left, delivered to me a copy of a note which the Iranian Ambassador sent to Molotov this morning.

The Ambassador stated that he had called on the British Ambassador yesterday to discuss the occupation of Iran by Soviet and British troops and that in the course of their conversation Cripps had said that if the Germans were at once expelled from Iran the British and Soviet Governments would stop the advance of their troops and withdraw them. To his inquiry as to whether Cripps was authorized to make this suggestion the Ambassador said Cripps had replied that while he had not been specifically authorized by his Government to make the suggestion he was "sure" that the British Government would approve.

The Turkish Ambassador reported his conversation with Cripps to the Iranian Ambassador who thereupon on his own initiative prepared the note to Molotov and filed a telegram to his Government setting forth this action.

On learning that the Soviet authorities had failed to transmit his telegram to Tehran the Iranian Ambassador requested the Turkish Ambassador to see Cripps again last night and to seek his advice. The Turkish Ambassador states that after reading the proposed note to Molotov, Cripps had found it "entirely satisfactory" and had advised the Turkish Ambassador to send the text to Ankara with the request that it be repeated immediately to the Iranian Government in Tehran which he had thereupon done.

The Turkish Ambassador added that in addition to transmitting the text of the note to Ankara for repetition to the Iranian Government he had also transmitted the recommendation of the Iranian Ambassador to his Government that it seek the good offices of Turkey and the United States in an endeavor to carry out Cripps' suggestion. A translation of the note delivered by the Iranian Ambassador to Molotov follows as Embassy's 1587, August 27, 7 p. m.

STEINHARDT

3a Ali Haydar Aktay.

4

Sir Stafford Cripps.

740.0011 European War 1939/14453: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary

1587.

of State 5

Moscow, August 26 [27], 1941-7 p. m. [Received August 28-9: 55 a. m.]

"Moscow, August 26, 1941

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of the Soviet Government dated August 25, 1941.

The Government and the people of Iran have always held feelings of the most sincere friendship toward the Government and the peoples of the Soviet Union.

The relations of friendship and good neighborhood between the two countries have always found their expression in the actions and the acts of the two Governments.

Iran has always highly appreciated and appreciates the sincere fraternal and friendly policy of the Soviet Republic, a policy which has found its outward expression in the moral and material support at the most difficult times of its political life. The divers circumstances enumerated in the note which have occurred in the friendly relations between the two countries correspond entirely to the reality both as to the point of view of places and of times.

The development of mutual friendly relations between Iran and the Soviet Union has been founded on the basis of mutual understanding and confidence.

Article VI of the Soviet-Iranian Treaty of 1922 [1921] is a proof of the mutual confidence of the two Governments and of the peoples of Iran and of the Soviet Union, and that article presents in principle a guarantee of the territorial inviolability of Iran.

The circumstances foreseen by article VI of said treaty are specified by its spirit and by its text. Thus until August 25, 1941, no armed forces of a foreign country have attempted by armed invasion to carry out on the territory of Iran a policy of conquest or to transform the territory of Iran into a base from which to launch a campaign against the Soviet Union. Iran, being a neutral power and a friend of the Soviet Union, has taken all measures to keep without the bounds of Iran the dangers which could have been created, according to the definition of the note which has been handed me, by certain foreign elements now in Iran whose activity has been judged by the Soviet Government as menace to the interests of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and of Great Britain.

This telegram transmits the translation of the Iranian note referred to in last paragraph of the Ambassador's telegram No. 1586, supra.

The representations of the Soviet Government of June 26, July 19 and August 16 had the purpose of directing the attention of the Iranian Government to the situation created and constituted a preliminary step to the formal warning of August 6, 1941. The Government of Iran, notwithstanding the nonconformity of the forms of these representations with the diplomatic relations customary between sovereign states, urgently took effective and extraordinary measures in view of the friendly relations with the Soviet Union, measures which without doubt would have given results satisfactory to the two countries.

By the careful study of all measures taken by the Government of Iran, I have personally arrived at the conclusion that on September 15, 1941, the last contingency of dangerous persons from the point of view of the Soviet Union would have left the boundaries of Iran.

It is to be regretted that the Soviet Government has not awaited the results of effective and urgent measures by the Iranian Government taken in conformity with its status as a neutral power.

The assurances of respect for the sovereign rights of neutral Iran, its territorial integrity, its inviolability and its independence have been given by the Soviet Union and by Great Britain and the Government of Iran has had entire confidence in these assurances. In view of the preceding as Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Iran, Mr. People's Commissar, I beg you to be so good as to stop the advance of armed forces on the territory of Iran with a view to an amicable settlement of the question and by respect for the sovereign rights and neutrality of Iran to make possible the reasonable carrying out of the measures taken by the Government to expel from Iran the foreigners designated in the note of August 25th in the shortest time possible.

At the same time having full confidence in the assurances of the Soviet Government that the Soviet troops will be withdrawn from Iran after overcoming the danger I beg you in return for the expelling from the territory of Iran of the foreigners dangerous to the Soviet Union and Great Britain to take measures to the end that the units of the Red Army be recalled to the frontier of the Soviet Union where they may have passed the frontiers of Iran with as little delay as possible and to suspend contact with Iranian troops which defended the inviolability of their territory.

Making a record of my personal disagreement expressed above with respect to the incorrect interpretation of article VI of the Treaty of Friendship of 1921 and my protest against the temporary entry of Soviet troops into the territory of Iran, I have the honor to assure you, Mr. People's Commissar, that in the event that the sovereign rights, inviolability, and territorial independence of the territory of Iran are fully respected my Government will take all measures in

this case to reinforce the friendly and economic relations between Iran and the Soviet Union.

I avail myself of this occasion, Mr. People's Commissar, etc. Signed: M. Saed, Iranian Ambassador"

STEINHARDT

740.0011 European War 1939/14423: Telegram

The Minister in Iran (Dreyfus) to the Secretary of State

TEHRAN, August 27, 1941-7 p. m. [Received August 28-6 a. m.]

111. The Ali Mansour Cabinet resigned at Prime Minister's request at 5 p. m., allegedly because of inability to arrive at a satisfactory settlement with the Russians and British.

The Under Secretaries have been instructed by the Shah to carry on until a new Cabinet is formed.

The British Minister informs me that no reply has been received yet to his telegram to London transmitting the Shah's proposal mentioned in my telegram 105.o

Tension is increasing hourly in Tehran. Newspapers and posters tonight are giving the people information as to air raid precautions and how to get in touch with hospitals.

DREYFUS

740.0011 European War 1939/14585

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

[WASHINGTON,] August 27, 1941.

The Minister of Iran called at his request. He said he desired to get before me the contention of his Government to the effect that in the present war going on in Europe his country is neutral; that it is entitled to live peacefully, free from outside interference or intervention with respect to the autonomy, the liberty and the independence of his country; that despite this right to so live, British and Soviet forces for the purpose of aggression and in pursuit of that policy have recently invaded Iran; that in doing so the Soviet forces have bombed some undefended cities and towns and have killed some of the civilian population where there was no military establishment of any kind; and that, therefore, they appeal to this country to carry out its preachments of the eight principles underlying peaceful and free nations and to take any possible steps to aid Iran in securing relief from military occupation.

Dated August 25, 2 p. m., p. 417.

7

'Principles of the Atlantic Charter, printed in vol. 1, p. 367.

I replied that I had nothing to say now except that I was assembling the pertinent facts relating to the entire matter, including the opposing viewpoints, in part at least, of the Government of Iran on the one side and of the British and the Soviet Governments on the other; that it would not be possible to discuss the matter intelligently until such facts were assembled; that I commenced to assemble them as soon as I was notified of the incident referred to and that my Government in this case did not have the pertinent and relevant facts in its possession prior to the occupation of Iran by military forces during the past few days. Then I said that it would have been much better from his standpoint if his Government had come to us many days ago and stated to us that Europe, of course, was being overrun by Hitler, and his movements of conquest will continue until some military force stops him and that certain countries such as Great Britain and Russia were defending themselves against attacks by Hitler in pursuance of his movements and plans of military conquest and destruction generally; that either of these opposing military forces may seek to prevent the other from overrunning peaceful neutral countries in connection with the general fighting that is going on, and, therefore, they desire to confer with third countries in sufficient time in advance of any possible military occupation to have the whole situation dealt with to the best possible advantage from the standpoint of the Government of Iran and that of other interested governments. This was no criticism but merely illustrates the extreme importance of every country visualizing the entire breadth and depth of what is happening in Europe, especially in a military way, so that every possible precaution can be taken by innocent neutral countries against being seized and destroyed by an aggressor as, for example, Hitler in his seizure and destruction largely of some fifteen sovereign independent nations in Europe. I said it was evident that he will occupy all of the European and other continents of the world unless he is stopped by military force and that it was well for all to recognize this fact in looking out for their own protection from outside conquest; that everyone knows that Hitler is bent on the conquest of the world and the control of the high seas; that it will be as suicidal as it was for Belgium, Holland and other countries that have been swallowed up by Hitler not to take into view and into consideration this whole movement of conquest and destruction in almost every way known to savagery and barbarism.

The Minister sought to come back each time to the ex parte or unilateral view of himself and presumably of his Government that, without regard to whether they recognized the broad situation and took steps in ample time to deal adequately with it from the standpoint of preserving their sovereignty and independence, they had been interfered with by the British and the Soviet forces and that this Government, as a champion of the rights and sovereignty of small nations