Coll 17/15(1) 'Perso-Iraq Relations: Persia-Iraq frontier; Persia's claim in the Shatt-el-Arab' [‎235r] (480/961)

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is described as following the low-water level of the left bank of the Shatt-el-Arab,
leaving it only to the extent necessary to leave in Persia the named islands
referred to above and the anchorage of Mohammerah.
The Directorate of the Port of Basra derives its authority from the Inland
Waters Shipping Proclamation, 1919, and the Port of Basra Proclamation, 1919,
issued by the General Officer Commanding-in-chief, the British Forces in Iraq.
Under article 114 of the Constitutional Law of Iraq these proclamations have
the validity of Iraqi law.
On the 9th November, 1932, two sloops and four gunboats recently acquired
for the Persian navy entered the Shatt-el-Arab and proceeded up-stream to
Mohammerah. . .
Previously to this date the Iraqi Government had at various times had
occasion to complain to the Persian Government of violations of the Iraqi
sovereignty in the Shatt-el-Arab by its agents in the Departments of Customs
and Police, who were reported to be patrolling the river, interfering with country
craft, &c. ' Complaints were generally met with denials or allegations that the
incidents complained of had occurred in “Persian waters” or the “Persian
waters of the Shatt-el-Arab.”
From the date of the arrival of the Persian war vessels, however, it became
clear that the Persian officers were acting under orders to disregard the rules
and by-laws of the Port of Basra and to flout the authority of the Directorate
by entering the dredged Rooka Channel, which is open to one-way traffic only,
without ascertaining from the control officer that the channel was clear, by
ignoring the signals of the pilot-master and other competent authorities, bv
anchoring in the prohibited area, showing great reluctance to move when requeste
to do so, by steaming at excessive speeds, and by similar breaches of the ru es.
Apart from the Segal irregularity of these proceedings, the rash seamanship
of the Persian officers is highly objectionable for other reasons; it has caused
at least one serious grounding; on several occasions collisions have been narrowly
averted; the dredged channel is constantly in jeopardy; a collision involving an
outward-bound tanker carrying dangerous oils might have th f “fhUwhole sef
quences- any blocking of the river would bring to a standstill the whole sea
borne trade of Iraq (the Shatt-el-Arab constituting Iraq s soie ehannel of access
to the sea), not to mention the oil trade of Persia itself. It has been f
necessary to institute, at considerable expense, wire ess wa c ,, p ers i an
and wireless stations in order that timely warning o pp
ships may be passed on and a wide berth be giYen to em. Persian
In the course of an informal interview on the 9th March UTd o W X
senior naval officer stated to the Port Director tha e, sl ‘\ , p a g., a Port
sovereignty of Iraq over the whole of the Sha -e - rules.
Administration, and that he could, therefore, no 00 PJ. limits
Pilotage is compulsory for every sea-going vessel exempt from
of the Port of Basra. Although certain Government vessels are exempt
pilotage, it is clearly laid down m E he ™ custom of Ihe harbour-master to berth
in harbour limits; it has been, and is, the custo f ra Abbadan
men-of-war of all nationalities inside the harbour l™^Uor a few months untU,
Reach. These facilities were used by the Persian s ^r of thUpUt of Basra!
on the 23rd June, 1933, Ca P ta ^ ^gfhaTwded the Persian ship Palang,
In reply to the protests against this outi age on o T j ri f roin the Persian
the following reply was received by the Iraqi Minister at leniai
Minister for Foreign Affairs :— , „
“Persian Minister for F° rei S\
Suwaidi, Iraqi Minister in Tehran, No. 13164, dated any ,
(Translation ^
“ M. le Ministre PlfniP ot ®”l iai re> din „ t h e arrest of McLeod by
“ In reply to your lettel „^; 12 p er fia : I lave the honour to inform
the Persian naval forces in Southeii
your Excellency that— . _ r™
“(1) The harbour of Abbadan ^Ulraqf Government is, therefore,
appointment of a harbour-master by the Iraqi vxo ^ ^
[290 c—1]