501.BC/5–2446: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
urgent
[Received May 24—12:53 p.m.]
226. Ambassador Gromyko informed me last evening that the Tass radio broadcast from Moscow yesterday to the effect that the Soviets had evacuated all their troops from Iran by May 9 was “official.”48 He made this statement with considerable emphasis.
In a discussion of the Iranian situation with a member of the USdel last evening, Sir Alexander Cadogan indicated that he thought it was [Page 480] likely that Ala would be repudiated very shortly. He expected the Russians to put heavy pressure on Qavam to state they were satisfied that the Soviets had completely withdrawn, and to repudiate Ala’s contention that Iran had never intended to withdraw its complaint regarding Soviet interference in Iranian internal affairs. Sir Alexander said he had reported his views to the Foreign Office. He thought that if Qavam submitted to Soviet pressure, there was really nothing for the Council to do but to drop the matter from its agenda. He thought that if it were necessary to do this, it was important that at the same time some members of the Council should make it clear to the world that they considered that the Iranian Government had been put under heavy pressure by the Soviets; that the separatist movement in Azerbaijan was a direct consequence of Soviet interference in the past in a violation of the 1942 treaty and of the Charter. He also felt that if Qavam gave the USSR a clean bill of health, this would be an inopportune moment for any other member of the Council to bring a new complaint against the USSR; that it would be wise to wait for further developments which might provide a basis for Council action.
- Telegram 1631, May 24, from Moscow, advised of a despatch from Tbilisi printed in the Soviet press on May 24 reporting an announcement by the Trans-Caucasian Military District that the evacuation of Soviet troops from Iran had been completed on May 9. The despatch stated that the date of evacuation corresponded with the evacuation plan announced by the Military District at the end of March. (861.24591/5–2246)↩