Evening star., 1941-08-25
British and Russians Invade Iran;
Defense Army of19O>O0OR
Tabriz Reported Bombed by Air
English T roops
Landed at Head
Of Persian Gulf
TTert OF British Statement on
Page A-S.)

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, Aug. 25.-Britain anc
Russia invaded Iran PERSIA to-
day and that country's little
army of 10000 men was re-
ported authoritatively to be re-
sisting, spreading the war across
the oil-rich kfDgdom wedgec
strategically between the Persian
Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
The extent or place of the engage
ments was not disclosed here.
CThe German wireless broad
cast an Ankara dispatch stating
that clashes already have been
reported from the Caucasian
border" the point OF entry for
Soviet troops.
Can authorized spokesman in
Berlin said planes bombed the
North Iranian city of Tabriz early
today, causing some damage and
casualties.
Un Moscow it was announced
that Russian troops had invaded
Iran in cooperation with the
British, marching from the
Caucasus. The Russian Foreign
Minister handed a note to the
Iranian Ambassador this morn
ing, pledging respect for the ter
ritorial integrity of Iran and
promising that Russian troops
would be withdrawn as soon as
the Nazi danger had been re-
rnoved0
Veteran British desert fighters
moved east and north from British
dominated Iraq, and from the Per-
sian Gulf and formed frontier
threat at Baluchistan, which lies
southeast of Iran. Some of the
British landed from ships in the
Persian Gulf.
Russian Cossacks and mounted
infantrymen made up the Soviet in
vading forces, moving toward juno
tions with the British in synchro-
nized Invasion over baking plains
and mountains.
Custer of German agents was the
announced Russian British aim.
Mechanized Forces Lead.
From Cairo, headquarters OF the
British Middle East command, it
was reported that Indian mechan-
lied forces, strongly supported by
r. A. F.. squadrons, were in the
vanguard of the invasion.
An authoritative London source
said some British troops had landed
from ships at Bandar Shahpur, at
the head Of the Persian Gulf, but
that. of course, is not the sole
point of entry"
Opposing the invaders was an
army estimated in Cairo to con-
sist of about 19 divisions OF approx
mately 10000 men each.
Cairo sources said Iranian artil-
lery was mainly of Swedish make
andSrms included both light and
heavy machine guns There are a
few German tanks. they said, and
the air force consists OF a single
Tomahawk and about dozen Hur-
ricanes. They predicted a brief
campaign. saying Iranians were poor
airnen with little knowledge of
navigation.
Some British estimates of the
total number of German tourists
and technicans" in Iran rose as
high as 5000, although Iranian
police declare there are only $50
German men in the country.
Cairo authorities said the most
dangerous agent probably was Yunis
Bagri, nephew of an IraQui radio
announcer in Berlin.
Race to Prevent Sabotage.
Russians moved down from the
north; Britons from the west and
south.
The prime objective was to win a
race against time and prevent
sabotage and destruction of vital oil
pipe lines and fields by German
specialists alleged to have infil-
trated into the country Failure Of
Iran to expel these agents was given
by the British as the cause of the
action.
The chief purpose of the Russians
In joining in the invasion was to
secure the U. S. S. RS southern or
"side door" frontier from the pos
sibly disruptive influences of a Ger
man fifth column" in Iran, which
the Russians have said was at
tempting to engineer coup d'etat
such as that which upset Iraq.
Anglo-Soviet occupation of the
land, it was pointed out by observ-
ers. also would establish juncture
Of British and Soviet forces and q
(See IRAN, Page A-150