1941: Iran

As increasing numbers of German 'tourists' entered Iran during the first half of the year, British statesmen feared that Germany planned to invade this strategic link between Iraq and India. On March 6 Foreign Minister Anthony Eden called attention of the House of Commons to the German 'Fifth Columnists' in Iran, but — except for mild diplomatic protests to the Iranian government — the British took no apparent steps to remedy this situation. In May, however, British troops moved decisively to counter a Nazi-inspired coup in neighboring Iraq; and after the Anglo-Russian agreement of July 13 for wartime cooperation, Britain and the Soviet Union focused attention on Iran, where the alleged presence of about 3,000 Nazi agents prompted simultaneous British and Soviet diplomatic action.

Allied Diplomatic Offensive.

In July the Russians began to point out that Article VI of the 1921 Soviet-Iranian treaty authorized the Soviet Union to send its troops into Iran in case any third country should attempt to use Iran as a base of operations to endanger the U.S.S.R. Soviet diplomats claimed that Nazis, under supervision of the German legation at Teheran, were storing ammunition along the northern Iranian border and trying to organize terrorists in Russian Azerbaijan to carry on sabotage in the Baku oil fields. During the summer months Britain also negotiated with Iranian officials about means of controlling Nazi activities, and in the second week of August, London and Moscow each delivered friendly warnings to the Teheran government. On Aug. 16, Russia and Britain jointly sent Iran their most forceful protest against the Nazi infiltration. In reply, a few Nazis were expelled from the country, but on Aug. 21, Prime Minister Ali Khan Mansur expressed the Shah's decision to resist British and Russian interference.

Anglo-Soviet Occupation.

The U.S.S.R. and Great Britain began their invasion of Iran on Aug. 25. Russian forces entered the country from the Caucasus on the northwest, occupied Tabriz, and then advanced along the road to Teheran. British and Indian troops rapidly seized oil and pipe-line installations from the Persian Gulf to Kasr-i-Shirin, and occupied Bandar Shahpur — southern terminus of the Trans-Iranian Railway — and the oil refining center at Abadan. Meanwhile, the British Navy incapacitated the Shah's small fleet in the Persian Gulf and took over Axis ships in Gulf ports; the Russian Navy in the Caspian Sea captured the port of Bandar Shah, northern terminus of the Trans-Iranian Railway. British and Russian planes put the Iranian Air Force out of action, and dropped propaganda leaflets on Teheran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Kazvin.

On Aug. 26 it was reported that Iran had asked for peace. The Cabinet resigned, and Ali Furanghi formed a new government on Aug. 27. The Teheran radio announced on the following day that the new government had ordered its troops to 'cease fire.' An Anglo-Soviet agreement containing peace terms was presented to the Teheran government the first week in September and was accepted by the Iranian Parliament on Sept. 9. Terms of the agreement provided for: (1) the closing of German, Italian, Rumanian and Hungarian legations, (2) the surrender of all nationals of Axis countries, (3) the continuance of British and Soviet payments for oil and Caspian fisheries concessions, (4) British occupation of the Anglo-Iranian oil fields from the Persian Gulf to Khaniqin and Kermanshah, (5) Soviet occupation of northwestern Iran as far east as the railhead at Bandar Shah and as far south as Kazvin and Semnan — but not including Teheran — and (6) Russo-British control of airdromes and communications in the unoccupied section of Iran. The exodus of Axis nationals began on Sept. 13, when the first 80 Germans left Teheran for internment in Siberia and India.

The Allied occupation of Iran removed all Axis influence from the country and assured the Allies of about 10,000,000 metric tons of oil annually. It also gave them complete control over the Trans-Iranian Railroad and the Caspian Sea for transporting American and British supplies to the Soviet Union. A trainload of tanks, the first British equipment sent over the Trans-Iranian Railway en route to Russia, arrived at Teheran on Dec. 13.

Internal Changes.

Reza Shah Pahlevi abdicated on Sept. 16 — under Allied pressure — and was succeeded by his 21-year-old son, Crown Prince Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. The new Shah announced on Sept. 18 that he would grant amnesty to his father's political prisoners and give all the possessions of his father — said to be one of the richest men in Asia — to his country as a gift. It was reported, however, that on the preceding day a group of parliamentary leaders, in a secret meeting, had decided to confiscate the former Shah's property. The young Shah inaugurated various democratic reforms and issued statements affirming his belief in constitutional government, education and liberalism. During the remaining months of the year he was successful in avoiding difficulties with the Allies and apparently maintained the good will of his subjects.