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Green printed wraps 17x24cm. (2), 82pp French text. Wraps good with scuff to front, interiors fine. Very rare with Worldcat locating 3 (Bibliotheque cantonale et universitaire Lausanne; Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin; Southern Methodist University) with another at the National Library of Iran. Not recorded on Library Hub. This presents Iran's position on its dispute with Iraq over the Shatt al Arab frontier, and why it had revoked the 1937 Treaty just weeks earlier. Published in one of the UN's working languages doubtless with an international audience in mind, it reads like an open letter from the Shah to the Iraq Government. The scene is set with a description of events from the Ottoman-Persian Treaty over the Waterway in 1839, up to the 1937 Treaty, covering Russian and British involvement, agreements arrived at under the British Mandate etc. Chapter II makes clear Iran's grievances since 1937 on failure to agree to joint administration in 1949, to address concerns about navigation, to use royalties for maintenance (used for building hotels and airports at Basra instead - p76), and repression of smuggling. Mutual agreement for Swedish arbitration in 1957 fell through in 1958. Tensions increased in 1959 when Iraq failed to recognise Khosrow-Abad as an official Iranian port, and in 1960-61 when Iraq was uncooperative over Iran's proposal to take over administration of Abadan port. Chapters III and IV draw on recent diplomatic visits and increasingly bullish statements by Iran over new obstacles imposed by Qasim's government, the case for the Thalweg principle, Iraq's incursions in Iran to deal with the Kurds, etc. It contrasts Iraq's intransigence with progress made in related talks with "friendly and brotherly" Saudi Arabia, and "friendly talks with another brother" Kuwait, leading Iran to declare the 1937 Treaty null and void. The tone reaches a climax in Chapter V, quoting Iraq's threat of force, its arrest and release of Iranian fishermen, and abuses on Iranians living in Iran, warning it to cease its provocations, and: "any obstacle to the passage of ships flying the Iranian flag, any use of force against the Imperial Army, will meet with resistance and a strong response from Iran's armed force, and we will meet fire with fire" (p79). The closing statement indicates that the Shah is ready, tomorrow if need be, to meet with Iraq to sign a new treaty based on the Thalweg Principle in line with international law. Seller Inventory # 4311
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