Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, The British Commonwealth, The Soviet Union, The Near East and Africa, Volume III

740.0011 European War 1939/6829: Telegram

The Chargé in Iran (Engert) to the Secretary of State

Tehran, November 21, 1940—9 p.m.
[Received November 23—2:25 a.m.]

254. I learn from two absolutely reliable sources that several German emissaries have recently arrived in Tehran and are trying to get in touch with Iraqi officials with a view to reestablishing diplomatic relations between Iraq and the Reich. They are reported to be army officers who, before their departure from Germany received instructions from the former German Minister in Baghdad as to the methods to be adopted and the persons to be approached.

The feeling in Iranian official circles is now that at the Hitler-Molotov conversations⁹ Iraq was definitely included in Germany’s sphere and the whole of Iran including the southern oil fields in Russia’s sphere.

Baghdad informed.

Engert

9. For the German account of these conversations held at Berlin, November 12–13, 1940, see Department of State, Nazi-Soviet Relations, 1939–1941, pp. 217 ff.