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34 But the Soviet Government has either not replied to these notes or has found itself unable to admit the protests of the Iranian Government. Furthermore, the Iranian Prime Minister offered in December 1945 to proceed to Moscow accompanied by the Iranian Foreign Minister in order to arrive at a settlement with the Soviet Government. This offer was ignored. In the light of the refusal of the Soviet Government either to discuss these matters or to cease these disturbances in Iran’s internal affairs, the only course for the Iranian Government was to bring the dispute to the attention of the Security Council as a situation which might lead to international friction.

The detailed circumstances which have given rise to this situation are set forth in the memorandum. It is therein shown that, in breach of international law and of the Tri-Partite Treaty of Alliance of 29 January 1942, between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Great Britain and Iran, also contrary to the Three-Power Declaration by the United States of America, Great Britain and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics concerning Iran which was made at the Tehran Conference in December 1943, and contrary to the principles embodied in the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, there have been a number of interventions in Iranian internal affairs by the Soviet authorities.

Although the Tri-Partite Treaty provides that the presence of the Allied forces on Iranian territory shall not constitute a military occupation and that it shall disturb as little as possible the administration and security forces of Iran, the economic life of the country, the normal movements of the population and the application of Iranian laws and regulations, nevertheless the Soviet authorities have disturbed the administration of Iran by interfering with it in the zone where Soviet troops are stationed. In Azerbaijan this policy has been carried so far that the Iranian Government has been prevented from exercising any power whatsoever in this part of Iran; the security forces of Iran have been prevented from exercising their proper functions of suppressing disorders; the Soviet authorities have disturbed the economic life of the country by setting up at the frontier of the so-called Soviet zone internal barriers which all merchandise and civilians have been allowed to pass only at the discretion of the Soviet authorities; no armed forces of the Iranian Government have been allowed to proceed beyond these limits. The Soviet authorities have prevented the Iranian authorities from applying Iranian laws and regulations in these areas, in some cases by applying their own ruling, in others by forbidding the local authorities to enforce the law of Iran.

While the Iranian Government to a certain extent tolerated these breaches of territory and international law during the war, it contends that, now that the war is over, this interference with Iran’s independence and sovereignty should certainly be ended. Since the end of the war,