خارجي ٤٦/٥٠٠٠(١) ا"لوضع الفارسي: تقارير متنوعة" [و‎‎١‎٥] (١٢٠٢/٢٩)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
PERSIA
October 31, 1946
CONFIDENTIAL
Section 1
^[E 10733/149/34]
Copy No. 1 4 1
(No.
Sir,
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith a report on outstanding
Tehran, 2(PA October, 1946
events in Persia during the past quarter, for which I am indebted to
Mr. Watkinson and Captain Holt, Diplomatic and Oriental Counsellors at this
embassy.
Copies of this despatch are being sent to His Majesty’s Ambassadors at
Moscow and Bagdad, Air Headquarters, Iraq, British Middle East Office,
Political Intelligence Centre Middle East, Government of India and all con
sulates in Persia. " ’ ir "“ ■'
Report on Events in Persia during the Three Months ended 3(PA September, 194ft
DEVELOPMENTS during the period under review have confirmed the
determination of the Government of the U.S.S.R. to expand its influence and
that of the Communist Party throughout Persia. The principal .developments
were the formation of a new Cabinet to include members of the Tudeh Party and
various political manoeuvres in preparation for the general elections; inconclusive
negotiations with the newly-constituted authorities of Azerbaijan; disorders in
the concessionary areas of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and unrest amongst
the Arabs of Khuzistan; a tribal revolt in the south; spasmodic affrays and
negotiations with rebellious Kurds; the precautionary visit of British warships
to the Shatt-el-Arab and the concentration of British troops at Basra; violent
Persian reactions to these measures; and a continuous press campaign against
His Majesty’s Government, British officials and British interests in general in
Persia, culminating in a request for the withdrawal of His Majesty’s Consul-
General at Ahwaz.
The most immediate objective of the U.S.S.R. is to bring about the election
of a Majlis which will be disposed to co-operate in every way with the Soviet
Union and in particular to ratify the Perso-Russian oil concession in North
Persia as agreed by the Prime Minister Qavam-es-Saltaneh, when he visited
Moscow in the spring. Early in July the Prime Minister launched a new political
party, to be known as the Democrat Party of Persia, with a programme to cover
all fields of internal reforms and a foreign policy which was to have good
relations with all friendly Powers, provided that the sovereignty and
independence of Persia are respected and that there is no interference with the
internal affairs of the country in the name of friendship or on the pretext of
protecting Persian independence. This party has not attracted very general
support amongst prominent Persians, though lip-service has been paid to it bv
Government officials, and by various influential tribal chieftains. The leading
members of the party, in particular Muzaffar Firuz, whom the Prime Minister
permits to pose as its chief protagonist, do not inspire confidence. The reply of
the Tudeh Party to this was to form a United Front by fusion with a former
group known as the Iran Party.
At the beginning of August, Qavam formed a coalition Government, in which
leading members of the Tudeh Party were given the portfolios of Education,
Health and Commerce, while a new Ministry of Labour and Propaganda was
established under the unpopular Muzaffar Firuz, who had formerly been Political
Under-Secretary of State and assistant to the Prime Minister. An official state
ment of the aims of the new Government placed a ban on contact by Persians
with foreign embassies or consulates, who were asked to co-operate. No official
I have, &c.
J. H. LE ROUGETEL.
Enclosure
[ 83 — 40 ]