Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [‎238r] (475/807)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANI
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it.
PERSIA.
JVith the
of the
Under Secretary of St?t'
for Foreign Affairs
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June 27, K)40.
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"Section 1.
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Sir R. Bullard to Viscount Halifax.—^Received June 27.)
(No. 147. Secret.)
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HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His ^ a j est y s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligence Summary No. 11 for the period ending the
1 st June, compiled by the military attache to this legation.
Tehran, June 5, 1940.
Enclosure.
(Secret.)
Intelligence Summary No. 11 for the Period ending June 1 , 1940.
1 . The Shah and the Imperial Family.
HIS Imperial Majesty the Shah and the Imperial family remain in residence
at the Imperial Palace in Tehran.
On Friday, the 24th May, their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince and
Princess, accompanied by Prince Abdur Reza Pahlavi, attended the final day
of the Spring Races at Jalalieh Race Course.
2 . Iranian Officials.
His Excellency M. Nadir Arasteh. Iranian Minister in Berlin, who had been
recently recalled, has now arrived in Tehran. It is said that the reason for
M. Arasteh's recall was that he had gone too far in the participation of the
exaggerated German junketings for the Shah’s birthday. The Shah did not
like fulsome compliments to himself being sandwiched with ravings about the
“ Yids,” and talks about the demoralisation of countries by England by means
of opium, bribery and V.D.
Another reason for his recall may have been the discovery of the selling of
passports by certain members of the legation staff.
3. Iranian A rmy.
(i) 15-cm. field-guns recently delivered from Skodas via Trieste are
reported to have many parts missing, and, in consequence, are unserviceable.
(ii) Equipment and small arms continue to be forwarded by small motor-lorry
convoys under a guard to the provincial divisions.
(iii) Reference Intelligence Summary No. 9, paragraph 3 (i). Reserve Class
1292 (1914), having completed its one month’s refresher training, has been
discharged.
Reserve Class 1290 (1912) is now under training.
(iv) It is stated that the decision to abandon the formation of the cavalry
divisions at Khoi and Kuchan and the infantry division at Bujnurd was due to
Soviet pressure.
(v) Two different but reliable officer sources consider it unlikely that the
Iranian army will oppose any invasion by Soviet troops. Army circles are being
profoundly stirred by the German successes in the Low Countries and Northern
France.