Soviet Committee for State Security, Report on Turkmen and Azerbaijan Border Districts with Iran

Secret

[stamp:

CPSU CC

06794

28 February 1959

Subject to return to the

CPSU CC General Department]

[KGB letterhead]

28 February 1959

Nº 497-sh to the CPSU CC

The Committee for State Security reports that according to operational information of the Turkmen and Azerbaijan Border Districts, the staff of the ground forces and the Main Directorate of Border Protection of Iran have recently sent unit commanders and border commissars on the border with the USSR various provocative briefings about concentrations, movements, and other actions of the Soviet armed forces and border troops near the Soviet-Iranian border which have allegedly taken place.

For example, on the 28^th of February 1958 [SIC] the commanders of Iranian units on the border with the Azerbaijan SSR received a briefing from headquarters that supposedly "Soviet military units are concentrating on Soviet territory near the Iranian border". The conclusion is then drawn that "the Russians are starting to carry out a policy of threats". In January of this year a similar briefing was received by border commissars on Iran's border with the Turkmen SSR, although no movements of Soviet troops had taken place near the Iranian border since the last maneuvers in the summer of 1958.

At the beginning of January 1959 General HASAN RAZMARA, the Chief of the Main Directorate of Border Protection, briefed the chief of the Khorasan Border District ([located in] the city of Mashhad) that maneuvers were allegedly being conducted monthly in Soviet border detachments, and "at times, in the afternoon the personnel of the detachments are put into combat readiness to open fire". At the same time RAZMARA pointed out in the briefing that some "organization of national resistance forces" was being created in the USSR.

[handwritten between pages: "Keep in the archives. V. Gorbunov. 3 March"]

On 28 January Brigadier General SHARFAGAT, the Commander of the 4^th Division ([headquartered in] the city of Rezaiyeh), briefed the garrisons and border commissars subordinate to him in the cities of Shahpur, Khoy, and Maku: "According to a telegram which has been received a considerable concentration of Soviet troops is being observed on the Iranian border. Inasmuch as this concentration does not correspond in time with routine exercises conducted by the Russians therefore it is obvious that these actions are being conducted by them for the purpose of intimidation".

A similar briefing was also received by commissars in the cities of Jolfa, Khomarlu, Germi, and Ardebil.

This is reported for [your] information.

CHAIRMAN OF THE Committee FOR STATE SECURITY

[signature] (A. SHELEPIN)