U.S. Department of State (September 1, 1941)
740.0011 European War 1939/14565: Telegram
The Minister in Iran to the Secretary of State
Tehran, August 30, 1941 — 1 p.m.
[Received September 1 — 10:35 a.m.]
122.
The British Minister has given me the following outline of the British terms which have just been received from London and which will be presented to the Iranian Government as soon as the Russian Ambassador receives his terms and instructions:
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The Russians will withdraw north of the following line: From the Iraq frontier to Ushnūīyeh thence in an easterly direction through Miandoab, Zenjan, and Kazvin; northeast to Khorramabad (on the Caspian); east to Babolsar, south to Samnan, northeast to Shahrud, and north to the Russian border.
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British will withdraw west and south of following line: Khanaqin eastward to Kermanshah; in southeasterly direction through Khorramabad (Luristan), Maidan-i-Naftūn, Haftkel, and Gachsaran; southwest to Bandar Deylam (on the Gulf).
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Occupation of both these zones will be temporary.
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Germans in Iran will be expelled within 1 week although a few technicians will be allowed to remain.
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Iranian Government will give full facilities for transit through Iran of war supplies and munitions but not troops.
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Iran will maintain a policy of strict neutrality.
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British and Russians will maintain friendly relations with Iran.
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British will continue to pay their oil royalties.
The terms do not seem to be as severe as had been expected and will no doubt be accepted without rejections by Iranians. It will be noted that the entire oil fields are included in British zone.
DREYFUS
740.0011 European War 1939/14567: Telegram
The Minister in Iran to the Secretary of State
Tehran, August 31, 1941 — 9 a.m.
[Received September 1 — 10:40 a.m.]
123.
At my first meeting with the Foreign Minister yesterday he informed me that the Shah was most disappointed that his request through this Legation and his Legation at Washington for American good offices had received no reply.
DREYFUS
740.00115 European War 1939/1367: Telegram
The Minister in Iran to the Secretary of State
Tehran, August 31, 1941 — 10 a.m.
[Received September 1 — 10:55 a.m.]
124.
The German Minister approached me yesterday to request my good offices with the British and Russian authorities to insure humane treatment of the 900 Germans who have taken refuge in the German Legation. He seemed honestly to fear for the lives of Germans on the arrival of the Russian troops and stated that he much preferred to have them turned over to the British rather than the Russians. I took the liberty of assuring him that American Government would look with great disfavor on any mistreatment of Germans here and he seemed relieved at my promise to take up the matter informally. British and Russian Envoys with whom I took up the matter informally later in the day assured me that they would do their utmost to see that the Germans are treated humanely and in accordance with international usage. I do not intend to press the matter further since it now appears that Russian troops will not come to Tehran.
DREYFUS
740.0011 European War 1939/14568: Telegram
The Minister in Iran to the Secretary of State
Tehran, August 31, 1941.
[Received September 1 — 3:55 p.m.]
126.
Referring to my No. 122, the Russian and British terms were presented to the Iranian Government at 5 p.m. yesterday. The Prime Minister informed Russian and British Envoys a short time ago that the Iranian Government accepts terms in principle. The Prime Minister informed the Majlis this morning that negotiations with the British and Russians have reached an advanced stage. In calling on the deputies and people to be more calm he said that the attitude of panic shown by the Iranians had done great harm.
About 9 a.m. today 8 Russian planes over Tehran dropped a number of bombs. Our Military Attaché examined the craters of 2 which fell about a mile from the airport but did no damage. I have definite knowledge that 2 men killed and 1 injured by a bomb which fell in the south of the city and it is possible there were other casualties. Russian planes are at this moment again overhead. It is difficult to understand why the Russians have bombed Tehran after the Iranians have ceased resistance and after terms have been presented. It is possible that it was a reprisal for the incident mentioned in my No. 21 [121]. If their purpose was to create terror among the Iranians they have succeeded. Some of the leaflets dropped today were addressed to peasant farmers of Iran and stressed how much Russia has done to assist them.
DREYFUS
The Pittsburgh Press (September 1, 1941)
BRITISH, RED TROOPS MEET IN IRAN
London, Sept. 1 (UP) –
British Imperial and Russian troops have effected contact, their first of the war, at the town of Sanandaj in western Iran, a British General Headquarters communiqué issued at Simla, India, announced today.
The Russian and British troops met after a march through the mountains and high tablelands of Kurdistan.
To meet the British, the Russians thrust swiftly 250 miles southward from their frontier and, it was understood, completely cut off Iran from Turkey, thus leaving the country’s only free frontier that bordering on Afghanistan.
The British marched about 100 miles eastward from Iraq for the meeting.
Other British troops of the same column penetrated another 85 miles east-southeastward of Sanandaj to reach the important town of Hamedan, near the reputed tombs of Mordecai and Esther, Biblical figures.
The Simla communiqué said:
The British troops found the situation quite peaceful. Local officials were most helpful and the inhabitants were most friendly. All British residents were safe and sound.
The communiqué confirmed that Tehran, the Iranian capital, was under martial law.
It noted that British forces in the southern area found that “slight damage” had been done to the Bandar Shahpur-Gaggar railroad.
This was presumably the work of saboteurs.
ONLY SCORES OF PRISONERS SHOW THERE WAS IRAN BLITZ
By Henry T. Gorrell, United Press staff writer
Basra, Iraq, Aug. 29 – (delayed)
It is difficult to believe that only four days ago British forces smashed across the Tigris River into Iran.
The Iraqi natives were hazy about how the British blitz started. I gathered that the roads from Baghdad to Basra were jammed with military traffic for several days before Gen. Sir Archibald P. Wavell ordered the advance. Then early one morning, the British threw pontoon bridges across the Tigris and troops began to march as others were landed on the Abadan waterfront by tugs, sloops and air transports. The shooting was described as very mild by those who heard any of it.
If I hadn’t seen scores of Iranian prisoners being herded into concentration camps by turbaned Indians, I would have sworn I had gone to the wrong place.
British casualties were said to be very few, because the bulk of the Iranian forces retired without resistance. Except for three officials of an Abadan refinery who were shot by Iranian troops when they left their office, all British oil, bank, and consular officials were understood to be safe.
British prisoners have already been released and 700 Iranian troops captured during seven hours of street fighting which preceded the fall of Abadan will be released as soon as the peace terms are announced, it was said.
An Englishman who said he planned to join his family in Tehran, the Iranian capital, “in two or three days,” said the Persians might have been able to offer more resistance if the 10 Curtiss Tomahawk fighter planes received from the United States a few weeks ago had been unpacked.
He said:
I saw them myself in a Persian airdrome. I talked with a Curtiss representative who delivered them to the Shah and was supposed to assembled them. Then, mysteriously, after he had put one Tomahawk in condition to fly, the Curtiss representative took sick and nine of the 10 fights are still in their packing cases.
The British seized the Tomahawks and much additional material, including guns and shells made in the German-controlled Skoda works.
REDS OCCUPY SIX MORE IRANIAN TOWNS
Moscow, Sept. 1 (UP) –
Russian troops occupied six more Iranian towns yesterday, including Qazvin on the Rasht-Tehran highway, only 80 miles from the capital, the official news agency TASS said today.
TASS said the Iranian people were welcoming the Russians cordially.
It quoted Iranian officers as saying that the Iranian ruling classes viewed German intrigues sympathetically but the common people and the army did not want war with the Soviet Union.
TASS said Red tanks, infantry and cavalry were advancing in Iran according to plan and, in addition to Qazvin, the towns of Sari, Sakhi, Sabzevar, Robat-e Khakestari and Shak-e-Dzham had been occupied.