Evening star., 1949-03-25
Russia Reported
10 Shut
30ffices in Iran
Loke Success Sources
Soy Embassies Will
Remain, However
MARSHAL VASILEVSKY GETS
Bulgarian Post as Soviet Forces
Chief. Page Ar.
BY the Associofed Pres.

formed sources reported today the
Soviet government has, decided
tentatively to close three of its
consulates in neighboring Iran,
which has been under frequent
propaganda attacks by Moscow
There still is a chance the situa-
ton will be ironed out without
closing OF the consulates, it was
said.
The three Russian consulates in
Iran are at Tabriz, Meshed. and
AhWaz. The Russians are said to
have asked the Iranians to close
their consulate in Baku, Russia.
Strict censorship at Teheran has
prevented any transmission abroad
Of the facts. The version reported
here is that there has been no
break in diplomatic relations and
that the two countries are retain
ing their embassies in Moscow and
Teheran. respectively.
Iranians accredited to the
United Nations disclaimed any
knowledge of events.
Troops Were Withdrawn.
Three years ago today the
United Nations Security Council
first met in the United States and
took up Iranian charges against
the Soviet Union. Two months
later Soviet troops, which had
been in Iran as part of a wartime
occupation by the Allies, with
drew from the country.
A closing of the Russian con-
sulates in Iran would follow much
the same pattern as the Soviet
Union adopted last year as a re-
prisal move in the -Kas-
enkina case. Moscow closed its
consulates in New York ana San
Francisco and asked the United
States to close its consulate at
Vladivostok.
Earlier the United States had
demanded the recall of Jacob M.
Lomakin, Soviet consul general in
New York. on the ground that he
abused his prerogatives Of con-
duct. The charges grew out OF
the case OF Mrs. Oksana Kassn-
kina. q Soviet teacher who had
been brought to the United States
to teach children OF Russian on
cials. She leaped from a window
Of the Soviet consulate general in
New York ana seriously injured
herself. Another teacher, MikhAil
Samarin. declared Lomakin was
trying to force him to return to
Russia.
Lomakin is now q press officer
in Moscow.
Treaty Permits Troops.
Iran has a 28-year-old treaty
with Moscow which permits the
Soviet Union to send troops into
the neighboring country if the
Soviets feel such action is neces-
sary to their own self defense.
Recently Moscow has been
charging that Iran Is being built
up as an American military base.
to be used against the Russians
In case Of war. Secretary Of State
Acheson this week denounced
these charges as false and de-
monstrably untrue" Mr.. Acheson
said the United States has no
bases in Iran and contemplates
having none there.
Shapour Fatimi, press attache
to the 1ranian delegation here. de-
clared March IS that . recent at
tempt to assassinate the Shah of
Iran grew out Of Russian pressure
on his country. After the assassi-
nation attempt the Iranian gov
ernment outlawed the leftist
Tudeh Party.
The Iranian consul general in
New York. Ahmed Mehbod. said a
reign of Communist terror would
have come about If the Shah,
Mohammed Ria Pahlevi, had
died.
The Teheran government an
nounced March 4 that it had pro-
tested to the Russian government
concerning Russian radio and
press attacks. The Iranian note
to Moscow referred to:
/. Moscow allegations that the
American military mission had
turned Iran into a military base
against the Soviet Union.
2. Charges that Iranian au-
thorities are foreign agents.
3. Criticism of the banning Of
the Tudeh Party.
Tabriz, one of the Russian con-