Considering why Ghavam handed over northern oil to the Soviet Union

Subject Areas : Journal of History (Tarikh)

Ali Rahmanpour ¹ , Mohammadhasan Raznahan ² , reza shabani ³

1 - PhD Student in Islamic History, Research Sciences Branch, Tehran, Iran
2 - History Department, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor of History, Faculty of Humanities, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2022-02-23 Accepted : 2022-04-20 Published : 2023-05-22

Keywords: Colonialism, Soviet Union, North Oil, Ghavam Al-Saltanah,

Abstract :

Iran's strategic position has always been coveted by the colonialists due to the existence of oil wells in the north and south of Iran and its great importance in the world arena. During World War II, when Iran was occupied by the Soviet Union and Britain, and after the end of the war, Britain withdrew its forces from Iran, but the Soviet Union sought to gain concessions under the pretext of that. It was at this time that Ghavam's role as prime minister of Iran, which had relatively good relations with the Soviet Union, was evident in the evacuation of Soviet forces. The main question is what was the role of Ghavam Al-Saltanah in handing over the northern oil concession and what was its purpose? Ghavam's policy on this issue was very complicated, because he, as prime minister, had to protect Iran's interests, and on the other hand, he had to protect the interests of the Soviet Union, which had supported him. This article aims to examine the relationship between Iran and the Soviet Union during this period and why Ghavam handed over northern oil to the Soviet Union, and tried to discuss how to negotiate and resolve the issue of Soviet withdrawal from Iranian territory. The research method is also qualitative and has historically described and analyzed the events. Findings show; Ghavam's main purpose in handing over this concession was not to betray the country, but only as a means to expel Soviet forces from Iranian territory.