Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎360v] (720/749)

the Prime Minister informed the House of the steps he had taken during the past
few days. At a secret session of the Majlis on the 27th November it was decided
to appoint a commission of sixteen members appointed from all the Majlis groups,
to study the recent events in Azerbaijan and the decisions taken by the Govern
ment, and to keep in constant touch with the Government. MaJlik Madani and
Niqabat were appointed to represent the Mihan group; Iskandari and
Farmanfarmayan the Azadi group; Shari’ Atzadeh and Hismati the Ittihad-i-
Melli group; Siqat-ul-Islami and Samsam the Democrats (no connexion with-
the Azerbaijan Democrats); Dr. Kishavarz and Shahab the Tudeh; Mas’udi and
Dr. ’Abduh the Mustaqil group, and Dr. Musaddiq and Dr. Shafaq the
Independents. The commission met for the first time on the 28th November.
Internal Security.
Azerbaijan (see paragraph 12 of last Intelligence Summary).
7. Events which have occurred since the last Intelligence Summary was
written are as follows :—
Maragheh. —The Governor has been shot by Democrat rebels.
Astara. —This place has been seized by the rebels who shot the Persian
frontier commissar and then marched down the Caspian coast as far as
Shifarud (some 25 miles short of Pahlevi).
Mianeh. —No change. The rebel garrison is believed to number 250.
Zenjan. —^This place, though not in Azerbaijan, has been occupied by
the rebels. The rebel garrison is believed to number 200.
Tabnz-Zenjan Road. —Some 300 rebels are distributed in pickets along
the road. They control all movement and search vehicles and travellers.
Nir {near Sarah ).—A party of Shahsevan tribesmen came to the rescue
of Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Nusrat, their chief, who was besieged by rebels. The Shahsevan
defeated the rebels and rescued their chief, killing fifty-seven rebels and
recovering a number of rifles.
Qazvin. —Tudeh or Democrat pickets reported (requires confirmation)
to be in charge of all exits from the town and to be preventing the transit
of all food-stuffs.
Miandoab. —The garrison of one Persian battalion is still intact though
besieged in its barracks. It has succeeded in establishing contact by
messenger with the Persian garrison of Saqqiz.
Saqqiz. —The garrison has despatched two companies on detachment to
Tikab, some 70 miles north-east of Saqqiz, to prevent any southward move
ment of the rebels towards Bijar and Hamadan.
Khorasan.
8 . A consular source reports that the arrival of a party of Tudeh leaders
in Meshed is causing the local authorities some alarm. They feel they can control
the local leaders but fear that newcomers, possibly followed by bands of
“ muhajirs,” may be more difficult to deal with.
9. Ten lorry loads of arms and ammunition sent from Tehran for the
Persian military garrison in Meshed are reported to have been detained en route
by the Russian military authorities.
10 . The same source reports that the survivors of the Meshed mutineers,
after having been in hiding with the Turcomans at Gavash Teppe near Gunbad-
i-Qabus for some time, have now joined the Azerbaijan Democrat rebels.
Persian Army.
11 . Reinforcements, amounting to a battalion in each case, have been
brought to Tehran from Shiraz, Isfahan, Khuzistan and Khurramabad.
12 . During the past week there has been some activity, mostly from the
Tudeh members, designed to displace General Arfa, the Chief of General Staff,
as being obnoxious to the Russians. Several prominent Deputies have represented
to the Prime Minister and the president of the Majlis the unwisdom of such a
change during the present crisis, the Prime Minister is believed to have agreed
with their views.
A jyp ointments.
13. (i) Abul Qasim Najm, Minister for Foreign Affairs designate, has
arrived in Tehran from Kabul.
(ii) Bayat, the newly-appointed Governor-General of Azerbaijan, has
arrived in Tabriz by Russian plane.