خارجي ٤١/٥٠٠٠(٢) "بلاد فارس: الوضع قبيل احتلال الحلفاء، وما بعده" [و‎‎٢‎٨‎٦] (٦٠٦/٥٧١)

[This telegram is of particular Secrecy and should be
retained by the authorised recipient-and not-passed on].
1941.
1941.
*1
f
^? 4 */My telegram No. 754
Subject to the views of His Majesty’s Minister, Tehran,
I consider that Stalin is right in regarding the fifth
column menace in Iran (Bwwiiaj (if not in Afghanistan) as an
urgent problem which calls for immediate vigorous action
before the German advance towards the Caucasus renders
effective pressure impossible. We should therefore in my
opinion encourage Soviet Union to back up the proposed joint
diplomatic demarche by troop concentrations on North Iranian
frontier: and as, in view of Soviet difficulties on the
, western front, such concentrations may not in themselves
carry sufficient conviction, it is for consideration whether
we should not simultaneously stage some form of military
w threat either on the Baluchistan frontier or in the Persian
Gulf. The time factor is so important that we cannot
afford to allow the Iranians to procrastinate as they
doubtless will unless sufficiently frightened.
2. Ostentatiotts and frequent consultations between
His Majesty's Minister and Soviet Ambassador, Tehran, would
also help but would probably not be sufficient in themselves.a^.