When Soviet Embassy evading crimes of Russian soldiers in Iran

2015-8-30

IBNA- The books ‘Days of Distress, Mazandaran and Gorgan Occupied by the Red Army’ and ‘Iran-US Relations since the Coup of August 19’ are bitter narratives of Iran’s occupation by the Allies in August 1941.

According to IBNA correspondent, August 25, 1941, marks the anniversary of the invasion of the Allies of World War II (represented by the British and Russian forces) to Iran. It is at times hard to write about the days when the country was trampled by the boots of foreign soldiers. The occupation which might partly be blamed on the king uninformed of the changes taking place in the world as well as the strategic position of Iran which at times made it target for the colonial goals and interests.
Perhaps reflecting the sad days of August 19, 1941 and what this homeland went through is beyond words; however, exploring through the narrations of researchers can inform us about the events happening in those days. Hence, by browsing the pages of the books ‘Days of Distress, Mazandaran and Gorgan Occupied by the Red Army’ by Mostafa Nouri, and ‘Iran-US Relations since the Coup of August 19’ collected by Davoud Afshari some details concerning those days are shed lights on.
Reza Shah hopes Russians defeated in war with Germans
In his book ‘Days of Distress, Mazandaran and Gorgan occupied by the Red Army’, Mostafa Nouri explains: “While the Allies had asked the Iranian government, in notes, to expel German nationals from the country, Reza Shah apparently hoped Russians be defeated by Germans in the war and did not welcome their request. Finally, the Allied forces made Germans presence an excuse for their invasion which primarily aimed at protecting the British strategic and their petroleum interests in Iran and preventing their capture by the Germans as well as maintaining aid delivered to the Soviets.” In a part of this book, concrete examples of the devastating effects of the Allied army in the north of the country, including the Russians looting Iranians’ property is referred to. This issue as well as other crimes the Soviet Red Army committed in Iran was never acknowledged by the Moscow.
In the book ‘Iran-US Relations since the Coup of August 19’ Davoud Afshari takes a look at the events of August 1941 and so writes: “On August 19, 1941, a substantial telegram addressing the U. S. President D. Roosevelt was sent which might be considered as a new beginning in relations between Iran and America. In this telegram, Reza Shah asks The U. S. President, who had not entered the war, to pay attention to the issues of Iran, which was a neutral country, and asks him to take effective measures to resolve the violations incurred as follows: “… According to your statement about the need to defend the principles of international justice and the right of nations to freedom, we ask for your kind intervention in this event which might engage a neutral and peaceful country, that only wishes to maintain the peace and reform the country, in a war.”