خارجي ٤١/٥٠٠٠(٢) "بلاد فارس: الوضع قبيل احتلال الحلفاء، وما بعده" [و‎‎٢‎١] (٦٠٦/٤١)

retained by the authorised recipient and not passed on].
(iawam (Personalities No. Ibyj visited me to-day alter
conversation with the Shah and spoke to this effect.
2. The Shah is very anxious hearing that the Russians
may continue hostilities and occupy Tehran and wondering
what would happen to the countrv and to him in that case.
Some officers had advised the Shah to take up arms again and
fight to the end but Qawam had advised against that and said
that the Shah's only hope lay in doing whatever the British
might advise. Qawam said that he would consult me as
though on his own account and the Shah agreed.
5. I said that resistance to the Russians would be
useless and perhaps ruinous to the country. My Soviet
colleague and I had no information as to whether the
Russians would occupy Tehran. I personally hoped not as it
would be better that the capital should remain free from
.foreign influence and I was inclined to think that they
would not come to Tehran. If the Russians did occupy Tehran,
His Majesty must be the best judge of the course that he
himself should take. In view of certain tenets held by the
Russians I Could understand his uneasiness but whatever he
decided to do I was convinced that the Cabinet ought to stay
here to negotiate with the British and the Russians.
4. I gathered ominous hints that the Shah had considered
either taking refuge in the British Legation or fleeing to
some British territory. In reply I talked cheerfully of the
large parts of Persia that would probably remain unoccupied
whatever happened. To a question of what the British and
Russians intended with regard to the Shah, I said that I could
not comment on what was a matter for His Majesty and His
people.
[Repeated to Government of India No. 10513"]*
[CYPHER].
WHR CABINET DISTRIBUTION.
FROM: PERSIA,
SECRET
FROM TEHR/JJ TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
Sir R. Bullard
No: 622 .
August 29th, 1941.
D. 10. 20 p.m. August 29th, 1941.
R. 11. 15 a.m. August 30th, 1941.
August 29th, 1941
Repeated to Moscow,
RECo. POL, DEPt.
- 1^1941
INDIA OFFICE