Coll 28/109 ‘Persia. Anglo-Soviet-Persian Treaty of Alliance, 1942.’ [‎13r] (25/442)

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«nd tfonth of pooltions oplglnully
oocupiod by British troops.
*t the sem^ time th«?re is one point In the flit isor«tnduia
under reply to which I would draw attention. It is true
that in August, 1041, preels* zones w«re notified to the
ersian Ooversacnt ss toe sress frow which Persian forces
should be withdrawn, but th* ststejueat that the places so
specified would be occupied tt,»por«rily by Hritisfe end
Jowiet forces did not necessarily imply that no British
and Soviet forces would in esse of need be eta ioned
elsewhere in rsis. Indeed, it wee v ry soon found
neoessary by both the ioviet end the British authorities
to atatioa troops »t certein pieces outside these sones.
Btfore the 2i«t October, 1: 41, the date of the arrangemente
regarding future consultation between our two Oovemts^nie
on th* subject of troop ear events, the soviet authorities
had found it necessary to establish a garrison at Meshed,
outai&e the iOvi<.t sone, and the British authorities had
slmllaiuy found it nucesasiy to establish garrisons at
datteden, rak (^ultanabadj sad other places outside the
original British zone. Thus the fact that there are now
British garrisons stationed at Hamadan and Arak does not
in itself denote any change from tha situation existing
on the 31st October, 1941.
Thk British military authorities in Persia have, as
th«? soviet Oevemafteat are no doubt awar^, been entrusted
with three mein tasks, namely: to protect the railway and
ro*d comrmaaicaUons in order that the safety of the
military supplies destined for the Soviet Union may be
enaired while in transit northward from the i^rsien dulf*
to take euoh measures as may be neeeasary for the defeaoe
of the important oil areas in Bouth ^est Persia; and to
be in a p sition, if neoesaary, to implement the
undertakings assumed by His Majesty’s Government under
Article 3 of the Treaty of &XIlanes for the defence of
Persia from aggression. All the measures taken hitherto
by the British military authorities, both as regards the
disposition of their troop* «nd »» regards the construction
of military aerodroTi*s, have b«en undertaken with these
ends in view, and more especially having in mind tha sll
Important task of maintaining th<& ever-increasing flow of
supplies destined for the Soviet Union without
interruption/