“Stalin’s final hope to secure a Soviet foothold in Iran’s government and oil industry, 1943–1953”

During the years 1943–1953 Stalin attempted to gain a foothold in the Iranian government and oil sector. In 1943, Stalin visited the Shah and secured the latter’s support for the pro-Soviet Tudeh Party, support that helped the Tudeh to enter into the 14th Majlis and later even join the government. By 1946, Stalin also secured a contract for oil production in northern Iran. However, these achievements were soon lost. Later, with the rise of Mansur, Stalin’s hopes were rekindled, only to be disappointed again. When it seemed that Stalin’s ambitions in Iran were unattainable, a new opportunity presented itself. In 1949, following disputes between Razmara, Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Army, and the Americans, the latter sought to remove Razmara from his military position, even at the cost of appointing him as Prime Minister. Razmara agreed but understood that for his political survival, he needed Soviet backing. However, Stalin’s hesitation in fully supporting Razmara, along with Razmara’s assassination in 1951, and Stalin’s lack of trust in Mossadegh ultimately put an end to these hopes, as those events are clearly demonstrated by documents from the Soviet Foreign Ministry on which this article is based.