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Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎184v] (368/644)

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The record is made up of 1 file (320 folios). It was created in 6 Dec 1933-27 Mar 1947. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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181. From this point on the Iranian Government virtually ceased to ask the
help of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, and in the course of
a conversation a fortnight later about the Iraqi note the Iranian Minister
for Foreign Affairs told His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires that his Government no
longer regarded themselves as bound by M. Kazemi’s offer to agree to full British ^
participation in a Tripartite River Convention if the Iraqis proposed it. Ihis
offer had been subject to the further condition that His Majesty s Government in
the United Kingdom should help to secure certain settlements before the end of
March and had now lapsed. This assertion was strictly correct, but the offer had
since been modified in oral statements by M. Kazemi, and even after the May
meeting of the League Council Iranian Ministers had spoken on various occasions
as though the offer was conditioned only on the Iraqi Government inviting the
Iranian Government to agree. In a later conversation, M. Samiy asked
Mr. Butler what response he would advise to the Iraqi note. Mr. Butler
expressed the view that the principles that it offered could be made to meet all
Iran's practical difficulties, and that the Iranian Government therefore would do
well to accept it as a basis.
182. About the same time, the Iranian Government lodged an official protest
with the Iraqi Government against the latter’s independent action in giving
powers as regards quarantine formalities for ships in the Shatt-el-Arab to a
station at Fao; they alleged that these infringed Iran’s sovereignty over the river
and disturbed the status quo contrary to undertakings given by Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. at
Geneva in January 1935.
183. The Iraqi Government also learnt that the Iranians had established
two further police posts on the Iraqi side of the frontier in Northern Iraq. They
asked for the advice of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom on
these developments.
184. Without, however, awaiting this advice the Iraqi Government sent two
notes in reply to the Iranian complaint. The first contested the Iranian claim to
possess sovereign rights in the Shatt-el-Arab. The second defended the Iraqi
Government’s action in enforcing the new quarantine measures at Fao, and f
concluded with a reference to the renewed aggressions involved in the erection
of Iranian police posts on the Iraqi side of the land frontier.
185. At this time there seemed various reasons for anticipating that the
Iranian Government would pursue such an aggressive policy during the autumn
on the land frontier and the river that incidents would be provoked. Happily
these anticipations were not fulfilled. On the contrary, Iranian policy thereafter
seemed to be rather to show correctness towards Iraq, and the Iranian Minister
in Bagdad stated in September that he had instructions to avoid any unpleasant
ness. The object perhaps was to secure a direct settlement of the land and river
questions without British participation, intervention or subsequent claim in
respect of diplomatic services rendered.
186. After this interlude, the Iranian Government replied on the
18th August to the Iraqi note of the 23rd June. They agreed to a Mixed Irano-
Iraqi Commission to control conservancy and navigation, having a third member
nominated by another Government on the invitation of both. Their note con
tested the right of any third party to participate in or sign the agreement estab
lishing the commission, and invited the Iraqi Government to state their views
more clearly as regards British participation. The note rejected the inclusion of
waters of the Karun and Bahmanshir in the scope of the commission’s operations
and challenged the right of the Iraqi Government to act independently in the
Shatt-el-Arab. The note proceeded to indicate six essential points as regards
administration of the river : these included requirements that it should be open
without discrimination to the merchant ships of all nations, and that the warships
of Iran and Iraq should be free to pass and anchor anywhere in it; also that the
dues collected should be appropriate to services rendered, and not exceed the
total cost of conservancy.
187. Nuri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. informed His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires that in com
municating the above note the Iranian Minister, on instructions from Tehran,
added verbally {a) that his Government’s original agreement to British partici
pation had lapsed in March, (b) that the anchorage at Abadan must be 4 kilom.

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Annual reports for Persia [Iran] produced by staff at the British Legation in Tehran. The reports were sent to the Foreign Office by HM’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary A diplomatic representative who ranks below an ambassador. The term can be shortened to 'envoy'. at Tehran (from 1943, Ambassador to Iran). The reports cover the following years: 1932 (ff 2-50); 1933 (ff 51-98); 1934 (ff 99-128); 1935 (ff 129-165); 1936 (ff 166-195); 1937 (ff 196-227); 1938 (ff 228-249); 1939 (ff 250-251); 1940 (ff 252-257); 1941 (ff 258-266); 1942 (ff 267-277); 1943 (ff 278-289); 1944 (ff 290-306); 1945 (ff 307-317); 1946 (ff 318-320).

The reports for 1932 to 1938 are comprehensive in nature (each containing their own table of contents), and cover: an introductory statement on affairs in Persia, with a focus on the Shah’s programme of modernisation across the country; an overview of foreign relations between Persia and other nations, including with the United Kingdom, British India, and Iraq; Persia’s involvement in international conventions and agreements, for example the League of Nations and the Slave Traffic Convention; British interests in or associated with Persia, including Bahrain and Bahrainis resident in Persia, the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. at Bushire, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, Imperial Bank of Persia, and the Imperial and International Communications Company; political affairs in Persia, including court and officials, majlis, tribes and security; economic affairs in Persia (government finances and budgets, trade, industry, agriculture, opium production); communications (aviation, railways, roads); consular matters; military matters (army, navy, air force).

Reports from 1939 to 1946 are briefer in nature, Reports from 1941 onwards focusing on the Anglo-Soviet occupation of Persia, and the role of United States advisors in the Persian Government’s administration.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (320 folios)
Arrangement

The file’s reports are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. Each report for the years 1932-1938 begins with a table of contents referring to that report’s own printed pagination sequence.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 321; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

The file contains one foliation anomaly, f 308A

Pagination: Each of the reports included in the file has its own printed pagination system, commencing at 1 on the first page of the report.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 28/67 ‘Persia. Annual Reports, 1932–’ [‎184v] (368/644), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3472A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100056661167.0x0000a9> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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