Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎158r] (315/749)

Zarghampur on tfie one hand and his brother Khosrow and Muzaffar Am, another
01 t Ahmadi chief, on the other. He has asked for reinforcements to be sent to
e e an o guard against possible threats to the area of the oil-fields, and it is
probable that three battalions will be sent from Tehran. Khosrow Qashgai is
now with Abdullah Zarghampur in Western Kuh-i-Galu, ostensibly to discuss
■LA® l i rr 1 en( lf 1 Germans who are now in Boir Ahmadi territory. It is
^ubtiul whether this is more than a pretence, and it is probable that the real
purpose of his visit is rather to re-establish the alliance between Abdullah
Zarghampur and himself and his brother Nasir.
12 . General Jahanbani is also proposing to move a force through
Mamass&nni country to Basht for the purpose, he pretends, of exercising a
restraining influence on Abdullah Zarghampur. It seems, however, that his real
object may be to coerce the Mamassinni, who are refusing to accept a recent
decision of the Government on claims to tribal lands made by the Mamassinni
chiefs. The Government may yet realise that they cannot afford to antagonise
the Mamassinni and may forbid a move that might lead to hostilities.
Khuzestan.
13. Some of the Bahmai and Jancki chiefs, against whom it was intended
to carry out operations (see Summary No. 48/43, paragraph 11 ), have visited the
Persian commander in Khuzestan to make submission. They have promised to
surrender some arms, and the Persian commander hopes that the show of force
which he will be able to make if he receives the reinforcements referred to in
paragraph 11 above will be sufficient to induce the fulfilment of this promise.
Russian Affairs.
14. M. Mikailov, the new Soviet xAmbassador in Persia, arrived in Tehran
on the 11 th January.
15. M. Kozlov, Soviet Consul-General in Meshed, has been appointed a
member of the Inter-Allied European Commission.
16. The Russian officers who, as reported in Summary No. 1/44, para
graph 15, had arrived in Ears for the alleged purpose of investigating agricultural
possibilities, were in the neighbourhood of Bandar Abbas on the 7th January.
The Ministry of Agriculture denies knowledge of these officers, and the real
purpose of their journey is unknown.
17. An Irano-Soviet Cultural Society has been formed in Tehran as a
counterblast to the British Council. The Prime Minister and the Minister for
Foreign Affairs figure on the committee, which includes several prominent
Persians. Telegrams of mutual felicitation have been exchanged with the Soviet
Society for Foreign Cultural Relations (VOKS).
18. For some months a strong drive has been in progress throughout Persia
for the collection of funds for Soviet sufferers from the war. The methods used
under the spur of Soviet representatives have savoured of blackmail. They have
resulted in the collection of quite substantial sums and in bringing Russia
prominently to the notice of many Persians.
Iraqi Affairs.
19. Khadim-al-Dujaili has arrived in Tabriz as Iraqi Consul. He was
formerly lecturer in Arabic at the London School of Oriental Studies.
A byssinian A ffairs.
20. Dr. Tourenzo has arrived in Tehran to take up his post as Abyssinian
Minister in Moscow.
French Affairs.
21. M. Pierre Lafond has arrived in Tehran as representative of the
National Committee of Free France.
22 A society for the study of French literature has been formed in Tehran.
The French have been for some time concerned about the decrease of their long-
established cultural influence in Persia, and this step may be an attempt to
revive it.
Tehran, Ibth January, 1944.