PERSIAN REBELS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1945, Page 9

PERSIAN REBELS

PRIME MINISTER’S ESTIMATE. TEHERAN, December 6. The Soviet Embassy in Teheran has informed the Persian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Persian Government’s request in its Notes of November 20 and 22 for immediate Soviet authorisation for Persian troops to move northward was given a definite answer in the Russian Note oi November 26. (The Note of November 26 contained Russia’s refusal of permission). The Persian Prime Minister (Hakimi) announced that in view of the Russian Note, the Persian troops still waiting, at Sharifabad would not move to Tabriz (capital of Azerbaijan Province). “To understand the. real situation in northern Persia the world should know that there are only about 200 genuine rebels,” he said. “The so-called Azerbaijan Assembly in completely illegal. My Government wants freedom of movement for the redress of the grievances of the people.”

No definite information was available about Russian oil installations in northern Persia, said Hakimi. There were some installations, but it was not clear whether they were for oil or water. Whatever installations there were, however, were without permission from the Persian Government. He added that food and other, supplies sent from the north to Tehcran were held up, not by the Russians, but by the Democrats.