Coll 17/15(2) 'Relations with Persia: Persia-Iraq frontier; Persia's claim in the Shatt-el-Arab' [‎18r] (46/1010)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY 0
^HIS BRITyiNrc
JESTY’S GOVERNMENT
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
n
[E 5820/32/34]
861 i
1935
September 27, 1935.
Section 1.
Iraqi-Iranian Boundary Dispute.
Narrative of Events—Bagdad and Tehran, July—August 1935.— {Communicated
on September 25 by United Kingdom Delegation to the League of Nations;
Received in Foreign Office, September 27.) ’
NURI PASHA An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. returned to Bagdad from Europe on the 5th July, and
consideration of the boundary question was resumed. On the 24th July, aj
committee of the Iraqi Cabinet was formed of the Prime Minister and the
Ministers for Foreign Affairs and of Justice, to draft instructions for the Iraqi
delegation to Tehran.
2. I prepared for this committee a series of eight memoranda on various
aspects of the question, as follows :—
No. of Attached as
Memo. Subject. Appendix.
1. Definition of the boundary ... ... ... ... A
2. Rectification of the land boundary ... ... ... B
3. Neighbourly relations ... ... ... ... ... C
4. Oil DC)
5. Customs control on the Shatt-el-Arab ... ... E
6. Quarantine ... ... ... ... ... ... ... F
7. Police on the Shatt-el-Arab ... ... ... ... G
8. The Port of Abadan ... ... ... ... ... H( 1 )
3. At the meeting of the 3rd August the Council of Ministers passed the
instructions for the Iraqi delegation.
4. On the 3rd August the Director-General of the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs, the Director of the Eastern Section,. Colonel Ward and myself left by
road. We reached Tehran on the 5th. Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and Muhammad Zaki Beg,
Minister of Justice, arrived by air on the same day.
5. Conversations began on the 7th August, and were continued on the 8th
and 10th. The general impression conveyed by Mr. Kazemi was that:—
(a) Persia was ready to recognise the land boundary as it stood.
(b) Persia would be content with practical benefits on the Shatt-el-Arab and
did not want a change of the Shatt boundary, would give a verbal
assurance to that effect, but would not give any document; Persian
honour must be saved; it was a case of finding a formula.
On the morning of the 10th August Mr. Kazemi suggested to Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
that he, the latter, should ask His Majesty’s Minister to invite His Majesty’s
Government to suggest a formula; Mr. Kazemi did not divulge that he had in fact
already made this request himself the previous day. As regards the practical
benefits, Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. invited Mr. Kazemi to submit a statement of Persian
desiderata.
6. On the 10th August I prepared a memorandum, No. 9 (Appendix K( 1 ))
exploring the possibility of avoiding a redefinition of the boundary in a new
instrument, but disposing of the question by implication through the practical
conventions : the Neighbourly Relations Convention should provide for demar
cation of the land boundary as a measure for facilitating the smooth working of
its other provisions; the Convention for Co-operation in Customs and Police
Matters on the Shatt-el-Arab should be so drafted as to make clear that the
facilities offered were granted by the Iraqi Government in virtue of that
convention. Settlement on these lines, of course, presupposed the bona fides of
the Persian attitude as defined by Mr. Kazemi.
p) Not printed.
[515 dd—1]
B