105. Telegram From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State1
Tehran, October 25, 1967,
0830Z.
1835. Security of Persian Gulf.
- 1.
- Shah evening 24th indicated he intends speak in strong terms re British Mideast policies when British Minister of State Roberts (successor to Thompson) visits Tehran in November.
- 2.
- Noting he had that day received telegram from Iran Amb Aram in London to effect there is likelihood British will recognize Sallal regime, Shah said he will ask Roberts what is motivating incomprehensible UK policy. Shah’s remarks were extension GOI’s expression of concern re what it considers unseemly British efforts to woo Nasser (Tehran 1711).2
- 3.
- Shah said he has received another report re move to merge Yemen and Aden. This in his view opens prospect of either Nasserist or, even worse, Communist-dominated country at mouth of Red Sea. He noted Russians increasingly active in Yemen.
- 4.
- Shah said he cannot understand Britain’s so cavalierly letting down so many friends, i.e. Arabian Peninsula sheikhs, who had placed their faith in British. Each sheikhdom, he said, seems to have some London School of Economics leftist leaders ready to manipulate the destinies of these desert principalities.
- 5.
- Obviously concerned by what he considers vacuum in sheikhdoms as British influence diminishes in area, Shah said Iran not interested in additional land. In fact, it clear Iranian attempts to exercise domination over Arab areas would be failure. Obviously one solution would be Saudi hegemony over anachronistic sheikhdoms. However, Saudis in Shah’s view are having enough trouble controlling their own patriarchal society.
- 6.
- I took occasion to mention that in informal discussion some of us held some months ago, my distinguished colleague in Kuwait Ambassador Cottam voiced suggestion there might be established some sort of economic consortium of all riparian countries on Gulf. This idea seemed to intrigue Shah. He thought perhaps some sort of Persian Gulf development bank might be practical vehicle for developing regional cooperation in Gulf Area. He likened such project to RCD.
- 7.
- From British Ambassador I had already heard that British are sending State Minister Roberts to Tehran. In response to HMG inquiries, Iranians made clear they would like formal discussions and came up with agenda of four points, three of which are Mideast, Persian Gulf security and Iran oil production.
Meyer