891.00/11–2245: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Iran ( Murray )
641. Following is substance of Secretary’s statement at press conference Nov. 21, in reply to correspondent’s query whether this Govt is taking any action in view of its participation in Declaration on Iran:
No action has yet been taken. Iranian authorities have presented to us a statement in which they complained that Soviet military commanders have refused to permit Iranian armed forces to reinforce garrisons and have obstructed their moving troops to the Soviet occupied area in which this trouble has occurred. Iranian [Page 442] authorities express great fear that they will be unable to preserve order in northern Iran and they consider Iranian Govt is charged with the duty of preserving order under Anglo-Soviet-Iranian Treaty. U.S. Govt was a party to Tehran Declaration of December 1943, signed by Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, in which we gave assurances with regard to the maintenance of Iran’s territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty. We have received no definite information from our representative as to the facts which have been presented to us by Iranian Govt. We are advised that communications have been severed between Tehran and Consulate in Tabriz from which we ordinarily would have received that information. Until we do receive further information from our own representative as to the facts, no decision will be made by us.
Sent to Tehran. Repeated to Moscow and London.