Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the Ambassador of Iran, the Shah of Iran, Willard Thorp, George McGhee, and John D. Jernegan

IDP SECRE SECIAL 'NATIONAL 5/5 5647 DEPARTMENT OF STATE ARCNIVES AND RECORDS 301 264 Memorandum of Conversation DATE: November 18, 1949 SUBJECT: Iranion Desire for Greater Security Assurances from the United States PARTICIPANTS: The Shah of Iran Hussein Ala, Iranian Ambassador The Secretery of State willard Thorp, Ass't Secretary of State for Economic Affairs George d. MeGhee, Ass't Secrotary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian and African Affairs John D. Jernegan, Director, office of Oreek, Turkish and Iranian Affairs Copies tos s/s, NHA, Mr. Robertson, NEA, Eur, s/P, Teha n (by a tamp) 1-1493 During the counse of a long conversation on various subjects, the Shah and Ambassador Ala brought up their view thet it VD uld be highly desirable for Iran to participate in a mutual defense pact including the U. S. or otherwise receive some form of direct security guarantee from the U.S. His Majesty pointed to the favorable position, as he put it, of Western European countries which were receiving direct military and economic assistance from America and also had the security assurances provided by the North Atlantie Treaty. He said that he had tried to interest the Turkish Government in an Irano-Turkish defense pact, but the Turke had replied, with justification, that such an arrangement would be useless without American association with it. I replied that I thought the U.S. had made its attitude toward Iran quite clear in the pst. For the present I did not believe we could extend our treaty obligations. The President was very meticulous about never making commitments which he was not in a position to fulfill. Before we con- sidered now treaties, we needed to ses whother the North Atlantie Treaty would really fulfill its purpose of increa- sing the defensive strength of the European nations. If they were able to develop their own strength and so reduce DECLASSIFIED the extent E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) TOP SEGRET Dept. of State letter, By NLT- He NARS Date 4.28.76