Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎373r] (745/749)

PERSIA.
for rOP 4 ' '
SECRET.
[E 319/315/34]
Copy No. 142
Military Attaches Intelligence Summary No. 50, Secret, for the Period
2Ath December to 30^/t December, 1945.— (Communicated in Tehran Despatch
No. 458 of 31s£ December, 1945; Received 10th January, 1946.)
Persian Affairs.
Political.
SUCH news as has appeared in communiques on the Moscow Conference and
such information as has so far been given to the Persian Government and the
deductions made therefrom by intelligent Persians have caused widespread
despair. It is too early to appreciate the full effects but a sharp decline in British
prestige and a further weakening of Hakimi’s Cabinet are already noticeable.
2. Two political forces appear to be working. The first is a move by Hakimi
himself to get rid of those Ministers obnoxious to the Russians. Fahimi has gone.
Hajhir’s displacement is imminent. Without informing General Riazi of his
decision, Hakimi has approached General Yazdan Panah with the offer of the
War Ministry. The latter refused. The second is a move by the Right to
overthrow Hakimi’s Cabinet and introduce one with more will to resist. Advice
has been tendered to the effect that a change would be premature until His
Majesty’s Ambassador returns with more detailed information about what has
transpired at Moscow and with advice as to the course now to be pursued.
3 . The election of Provincial Councils (see paragraph 6 of Intelligence
Summary No. 48) is engaging the attention of the Persian Government and
instructions to this end have been issued to Provincial Governors. It is not yet
clear whether they will be elected according to the original law providing for
them (which is in many details out of date) or by an amended law now said to be
ready for presentation to the Majlis. Many Persians believe that the setting up
of these councils at this time is dangerous and that they will merely provide a
legal way of creating a situation in other provinces similar to that recently created
illegally in Azerbaijan. Their fears, naturally, are chiefly over the provinces
of Gilan, Mazanderan and Khorasan, which are still in occupation by Russian
troops. . .
4. Dr. Siyasi, Dr. Kishavarz and Sadiq Hidayet, invited by the Government
of the Uzbekistan Republic to attend the commemoration ceremonies of Tashkent
University, have returned to Tehran. .
5. The Persian delegates to the United Nations Organisation which is to
meet in Don don on the 10th January are as follows : The Persian Ambassador in
London, Nasrullah Intezam, Mustafa Adi (Mansur-us-Salteneh), Seyyid Baqir
Kazemi. The following are attached to the delegation : Abul Hasan Hakimi,
Fazlullah Nabil, Assadullah Bayendor.
The Majlis.
6 Since the 23rd December the Majlis has met daily. A one-twelfth budget
Bill to cover the period of Azar 1324 (22nd November-21st December, 1945) was
passed. The Bretton Woods Agreement has been ratified unanimously.
Internal Security.
A zerbaijan.
7. The garrison of Rezaieh has surrendered. It was the sole remaining
Persian military force in Azerbaijan. A Tass agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. message of the
18th December reported that the commander of the garrison had been wreaking
vengeance on those inhabitants who were in sympathy with the Democrats.
His Majesty’s Acting Consul-General, who visited Rezaieh on the 22nd
December, reported that the Democrats had been in complete control of the
town since the 19th December, the garrison haying surrendered. Its commander,
Colonel Zanganeh, is believed to be a prisoner in Democrat hands m labriz. Ihe
remaining officers, as well as the balance of the labriz officers, have either arrived
in Tehran or are on their way. Only one, a Captain Hormuz larnar, is reported
[73—162]