Long the Hunting ground of German intrigue. Persia was occupied by Britain and Russia at the end of August 1941, and the menace of Nazi control thus removed.
We give here passages from statements made by the British and Soviet Governments in explanation of their action, and by the new Persian Prime Minister.
Text of the Russian Note to Persia, Broadcast by Moscow Radio, August 25th 1941.
The Soviet Government ,guided by feelings of friendship for the Iranian people and by respect for the sovereignty of Iran, has always invariably the Soviet Union and Iran and encouraging in every possible way the prosperous development of Iran….
However of late and particularly since the beginning of the perfidious attack on the Soviet by Hitlerite Germany, the activities of the Fascist German conspiratorial group hostile to the Soviet Union in Iran have taken on a more menacing character.
German agents who penetrated into important and official positions in more then 50 Iranian institutions were trying in every way to start disorders and disturbances in Iran, to incite the peaceful Iranian people against the Soviet Union and to bring them to war…
German agents have arms and munitions dumps at their disposal at different places in Iran, particularly in the neighbourhood of Migani.
Under cover of hunting they have created near Teheran a military training course for their accomplices, who come from all ranks of German subjects in Iran
Camouflaged as technicians and engineers, 56 German spies penetrated the Iranian war industry….
In their criminal activities these Germans grossly disregarded the elementary demand for respect of the territorial sovereignty of Iran by transforming Iranian territory into an arena for preparations for a military invasion.
This state of affairs demanded the immediate adoption by the Soviet Union of all measures which she not only entitled to take in full accord with Article Six of the Treaty of 1921, but which she was also obliged to take in the interests of defence.
Since the invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany the Soviet Government has three times, on June 26th, July 19th and August 16th, drawn the attention of the Iran Government to the danger threatening her from the espionage activity of the German Agents in Iran.
Unfortunately, the Iran Government declined to take appropriate measures and, in consequence, the Soviet Government has itself been forced to take the necessary measures and to no avail itself of the right granted to it to march troops temporarily into Iranian territory for the purposes of self defence.
These measures are in no way directed against the people of Iran.
The Soviet Government has no intentions what ever against the territorial integrity or national independence of Iran.
The military measures taken are solely against the danger created by the hostile activities of Germans in Iran,
Statement Issued By The British Foreign Office, August 25th 1941, On The British Action In Persia.
During the past months his Majesty’s Government have repeatedly warned the Iranian Government of the potential dangers arising from the presence in Iran of an excessively large German colony.
Germans resident in Iran, as in other countries, the German authorities have endeavoured to pursue in Iran a policy of infiltration by sending their agents to mingle with and to replace the resident German community.
The attention of the Iranian Government has, therefore frequently been called to the desirability, in the interests of Iran herself, of taking effective steps to check this process of infiltration….
There can be no doubt that, as in other neutral countries, the German resident community would be employed, whenever it seemed to the German Government that the appropriate moment has arrived, to create disorders with a view to assist the execution of German military plans…
It has also been made clear to the Iranian Government that his Majesty’s Government regard this as a matter of grave concern to themselves.
The underground measures taken by the German Government to spread German influence in Iran and to establish eventually German control and domination in that country obviously constitute a serious danger for the Iranian Government themselves , as well as for the British interests in Iran, but they are also a danger to neighbouring countries.
India clearly cannot disinterest herself from such developments in an adjacent territory.
Iraq is also closely concerned, especially since the Germans in Iran are known to have played a part in the revolt of last April against the legal Government at Baghdad and in the subsequent events, when the rebels were induced to take up arms against Iran’s British allies.
Towards the middle of July his Majesty’s Government realizing that the representations made at Teheran for many months past had remained without effect, instructed his Majesty’s Minister again to impress upon the Iranian Government, as a matter of the utmost gravity and urgency, the need for taking immediate action.
The German invasion of Soviet Russia, by extending the zone of hostilities to include one of the countries adjacent to Iran, had obviously greatly increased the necessity for an early settlement of this problem…
No doubt, however because they were reluctant to offend the German Government even in defence of their own vital interests, the proportion of Germans whom the Iranian authorities actually remove from the countrywas very small , and on August 16th Sir Reader Bullard and the Soviet Ambassador accordingly repeated to the Iranian Government in the most formal and emphatic manner the view of their two Governments that the German community in Iran should be required to leave the country without further delay…
The Iranian Government’s reply shows that they are not prepared to give adequate satisfaction to the recommendations of his Majesty’s Government and the Soviet Government must have recourse to other measures to safeguard their essential interests.
These will in no way be directed against the Iranian people.
His Majesty’s Government have no designs against the independence and territorial integrity of Iran, and any measures they may take will be directed solely against the attempts of the Axis Powers to establish their control of Iran.
Ali Furanghi, Head Of The New Government Of Persia, In A Statement To The Iranian Parliament, August 28th 1941
In accordance with the wishers of his Majesty I have been entrusted with the formation of a new Cabinet.
Members of Parliament are well aware of the intentions of his Majesty in connexion with the reform and progress of the country…
The Government and people of Iran have always been, and continue to be, partisans of peace and peaceful relations with the rest of the world.
In order that these intentions should be made clear to the world at large, we declare at this moment when the Government of Iran, in pursuance of the peace loving policy of his Majesty, is issuing orders to all the armed forces of the country to refrain from any resistance, so that the causes for bloodshed and the disturbance of security shall be removed, and public peace and security assured….
