Coll 28/21 ‘Persia; Azerbaijan; Persia-Russian & Persia-Turkish Frontier.’ [‎287r] (573/845)

SECRET
COPY
With the Compliment®
of the
Under Secretary of State
for Foreign Affair*
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91761 AON 8 2
[This telegram is of particular secre'Cy and should he
retained by the authorised recipient sfnd not passed on]
[CYPHER]
i> w
FROM W
Earl of Halifax
No, 7770
illst November, 1945,
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iCABI NET DISTRlfeUTION
)f 46 FORMGN OFFICE
D, 10,4:2 p,m, 21st November 1945
R. 5,40 a,m, 22nd November 1945
Repeated to Tehran*
4 4 4
Persian Ambassador called on me on November 20th and
left with me summary, contained in my immediately following
telegram, of a note presented to the Soviet Embassy Tehran
by the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs. He dwelt at
some length on ‘the gravity of the situation of Azerbaijan
and on its implications not only for Persian independence
but also for British interests in the Middle East and for
the interests of all peace-loving nations in an orderly
world. The orders issued by Persian Government as reported
in [grp,undec. ? Soviet representative^] note would auickly
provide an acid test of Russian intentions. He had little
doubt that while the Russians would be unwilling openlv'to
break undertaking to withdraw their troops by March 2na,
it was in their mind to create such a situation in Azeroaijan
before that date arrived that stage would be set for
incorporation of Persian province of Azerbaijan in the
U.S.S.R. by means of infiltration, disturbances and other
pressures.
2, He hoped that both the United States Government and
His Majesty’s Government Y/ould bring all possible influence
and pressure to bear on the Soviet Government before it was
too late, and had no doubt that his Persian colleague in
London was representing this necessity to you with all
urgency. He made concrete suggestion that from Persian
point of view, the situation would be assisted if all troops
could be withdrawn from Persia as quickly as possible before
the Soviet Government had had time to complete their
infiltration and disturb plans under cover of their
present occupation.
5. By way of giving me general background he had a good
deal to say about enlightened policy being followed by
the present Shah; danger of events m Azerbaijan being
used"to stimulate disturbances and trouble in Kurdistan;
artificial nature of disturbances in Azerbaijan which was
naturally the most loyal province in Persia; and much else.
4 . I told him I had no doubt that you fully appreciated the
importance of present events and would be devoting much
attention to them; and I undertook to transmit to you
what he had said.
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