Cable Nº 12753 from Tehran

CABLE STRICTLY SECRET

Copy Nº 1 – DISTRIBUTION LIST

Nº 2 – to Stalin

Nº 3 – to Stalin

Nº 4 – to Molotov

Nº 5 – to Beria

Nº 6 – to Malenkov

Nº 7 – to Mikoyan

Nº 8 – to Zhdanov

Nº 9 – to Vyshinsky

Nº 10 – to Dekanozov

Nº 11 – to Lozovsky

Nº 12 – to Silin

Nº 13 – to the 10^th Department

Nº 14 – to file

Copy Nº 2

Spets. Nº 593

URGENT

[handwritten: see N 4819/[[illegible initials]]

CONCLUSION Nº 591 (incoming Nº 12703)

In what directions are the opponents of the government operating? They are demanding that the premier remove him, Firuz, from the government. The Shah and the military connected with the court have tried to convince the premier to appoint Firuz an ambassador or envoy, and thus get rid of him. They have a definite goal – to weaken Qavam’s position, to get free access to him to influence him in the spirit they desire.

Second, they have tried to pit Qavam against the People’s Party with the goal of weakening the government’s position. Firuz thinks these attempts to introduce differences between Qavam and democratic organizations are a/the most dangerous provocation against the government. In Firuz’s words, he managed to guess these ploys in time and warn him.

Third, Qavam’s enemies are trying to organize and rouse various tribes against the government. In the west they are trying to stir up the Kurds (Kobad’yan - SIC) against the government, and in the south, the Bakhtiari and some of the Qashqai (Qavam Shirazi). The government is taking steps to strengthen its position in the south. According to Firuz’s statement the Qashqai tribes headed by Nasser Khan Qashqai are cooperating with the government. [handwritten at the top of the page: ”Demand a Soviet consulate in Shiraz TODAY”] Qavam Shirazi is being recalled to Tehran, and the chief of the Shirazi police has been removed. Khosrow Qashqai (the brother of Nasser Khan) has been sent to Shiraz to strengthen the government’s position. In Firuz’s opinion, the Bakhtiari are also on the side of the government. Abolghasem Khan Bakhtiari and Amir Hossein Khan Bakhtiari, who cooperate with the government, have been appointed* the rulers of the Bakhtiari. Here Firuz noted that it would be in our interests and in the interests of Iran to open a Soviet consulate in Shiraz [Translator’s note: the last four words were circled]. Firuz promised to help if we direct a corresponding request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

* restored by the 10^th department.

Firuz repeatedly stressed that the government’s situation depends largely on the resolution of the Azerbaijan question. In his words, a satisfactory solution to this question would strengthen the government’s position and provide it an opportunity to rely on the Azerbaijanis in pursuing its policy and accomplishing the planned reforms and, on the other hand, an unsuccessful outcome of the talks with the Azerbaijanis would undoubtedly be used against the Qavam government. The goal of Firuz’s information is to prompt us to promote a favorable outcome of the upcoming talks with the Azerbaijanis and maintain the existing support of the populists of Qavam’s government.

Firuz produces the impression of a businesslike person with a sharp political mind. In his person character he is apparently reasonable and self-important, but is distinguished from many other ministers by energy, efficiency, and activity. He is literally protects Qavam like Cerberus, being with him almost continually.

26 April 1946 SADCHIKOV

Authenticated: [by] [K]ol’tsova

14 copies am

Sent on 27 April [at] 1900

vyp [issued by] Kolomnikov

[handwritten at the bottom: 2946

4833/[[illegible letters]]