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Coll 17/15(1) 'Perso-Iraq Relations: Persia-Iraq frontier; Persia's claim in the Shatt-el-Arab' [‎432r] (875/961)

The record is made up of 1 volume (476 folios). It was created in 1 May 1933-15 Mar 1935. 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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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
PERSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
574)1/91/34]
September 27, 1933.
Section 7.
No. 1 .
Mr. Mallet to Sir John Simon. — (Received September 27.)
(No. 431.)
Sir, Gulhek, September 7, 1933.
WITH reference to your despatch No. 332 of the 10th August last, and in
jy amplification of my telegram Na. 165 of the 29th August, T have the honour to
^ inform you that the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs reverted to the whole
question of Persia’s claims in the Shatt-el-Arab at an interview which I had
with his Highness on that date.
2 . Eeroughi is evidently much obsessed with this question, which he regards-
as the main obstacle to better relations with Iraq. I do not encourage him to air
his grievances about Iraq to me, but when such questions as the behaviour of the
Persian navy are under discussion between us it is difficult to prevent him from
turning the conversation to this topic. On this occasion I had been rehearsing the
whole catalogue of misdeeds of the Persian navy in the hope of persuading him
that Major Bayendor was not a fit person to be Senior Naval Officer, and I
happened to mention the dangerous manner in which Persian men-of-war
navigated the Shatt-el-Arab. I asked his Highness whether in this connexion he
had received a report from the Persian Charge d’Affaires of the conversation
mentioned in your despatch, and Eeroughi replied in the affirmative. From this
he launched out into the sad story of Persia’s grievances in the Shatt-el-Arab.
Everything depended upon the interpretation of article 2 of the Treaty of
Erzerum, which made over the eastern bank of the Shatt-el-Arab to Persia and
gave the Persians complete.liberty n f navi gating the nvem but did not state that
the waters of the river were definitely to be Turkish territorial waters. On this
the 1913-14 frontier settlement was drawn up, but the Persian Government had
never accepted it and considered it entirely unfair to Persia. His Highness went
on to declare that Persia had no desire to grab Shallow vessel with a projecting bow. fresh territory from the young
nation of Iraq. Demonstrating his argument with an ashtray which lay between
us, he said : “For me to take this ashtray and say it is mine and for you to
snatch it back and say ‘No, it is mine,’ would be a merely childish way to behave.
We Persians are not children, and we do not wish to behave m such a manner^
What the Persian Government desired was that the Shatt-el-Arab should be
declared an international waterway “like others. ,• -. h
3 . I said that I was not prepared to discuss the details of this question with
his Highness, more especially as he already know our poin o J^ ew % , d
He had heard from M. Nury what the Foreign Office thought of the subject
as we had just been mentioning the activities of the Frenc 1 & S a ^ ' was
expert in the Gulf, I would "add that our interest m the -ehA r ab was.
naturally to know that the best relations existed b® ween e which
and from our own point of view to be assured t a ri r ^ ua ’ n0 r i s p
constituted the vast majority of the shipping !u tb e wa jjighness
through neglect of dredging or inadequate lightmg and ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ course
was well aware of the scheme propounded by Sir I ^ i q Feroughi
of his visit here for the establishment of a tnpar i e co „ J g. Highness’s
said: “Yes, the Persian Government accepted the .dea^ it ossible
subsequent remarks were not entirely clear to me, , > mean that the
that he himself was uncertain of his subject, ^Gin^ddi “n be some form of
conservancy board would be all right, but there must m addition,
Gunisei vcuiqy uuctiu wuuici 1 Arab
internationalisation of the waters of the bnat ~ e . _ nbviouslv one for Persia
4. I explained to his Highness that the question was obviouaiy ^
and Iraq to negotiate between themselves Eeroughi expressed the
independent and would expect to be treate • every possible way, but he
greatest anxiety to respect the independence /f good offices of His
hoped that when the time came he might count upon the go
[915 dd—7]

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Content

The volume contains papers regarding relations between Persia [Iran] and Iraq. It primarily concerns the frontier delineated by the 1913-1914 Boundary Commission, in particular Persian claims over areas of the Shatt el-Arab, and rights to oilfields in the Naft Khana [Naft Khāna] or Khaniqin [Khāniqīn]area. The papers document renewed negotiations over the border, and include discussion of the following topics: Iraqi concerns over Persian military activities conducted in Iraq; Persia's refusal to recognise the validity of the 1914 Frontier Delimitation Protocol; attempts to redraw the frontier at the Shatt el-Arab along the thalweg [valley way], as opposed to the medium filum aquae ; proposals to revive the Shatt el-Arab Conservancy Board Scheme; and proposals for an agreement to regulate the exploitation of the oilfields in the transferred territories on the frontier near Khanqin, including the proposed creation of a special zone. These papers primarily consist of correspondence between the following: HM Ambassadors at Baghdad, Teheran and Italy; the 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. Political Department; the Foreign Office (principally Sir John Simon, and J C Sterndale-Bennet); the Iraqi Minister for Foreign Affairs; and the Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs.

In 1935 the Iraqi Government formally raised the question of the frontier with the Council of the League of Nations, and sought a Court ruling as to the validity of the 1914 Boundary Protocol. The Italian delegate to the League (Baron Pompeo Aloisi) was designated Rapporteur to the negotiations, and the volume contains correspondence between the Foreign Office and HM Ambassador in Rome, regarding a proposed Italo-Iraqi Treaty of Friendship, proposals regarding the frontier made by Aloisi, and general Italian influence over Iran and Iraq. The volume also includes copies of memoranda and minutes circulated by the League, in addition to correspondence regarding the negotiations in Geneva and Italy, and documents from the Committee of Imperial Defence Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East.

The volume includes a divider giving a list of correspondence references found in the volume by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 1).

Extent and format
1 volume (476 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 472; these numbers are written in pencil 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 front and back covers, along with the two leading and two ending flyleaves, have not been foliated.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 17/15(1) 'Perso-Iraq Relations: Persia-Iraq frontier; Persia's claim in the Shatt-el-Arab' [‎432r] (875/961), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2869, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100074341461.0x00004c> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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