IRAN: Enough Said

Last fortnight Iran’s Premier Mohamed Said Maraghei rejected a Russian request for oil rights in northern Iran.* Last week Moscow cracked down on Said.

Cried the Soviet trade-union paper Trud: “Iranian newspapers are inquiring why Premier Said does not resign, as are all public circles in Iran who understand that continuation of Premier Said’s policy is harming the interests of Iran.”

Trud recalled that Said had spent ten years in Russia as Iran’s Ambassador, was mistakenly regarded as a man who understood the full importance of good relations with Russia.

Trud did not mention oil, but another Soviet thunderer did. War and the Working Class informed Russians that the U.S. controls 57% of the world’s oil resources, Britain 27%, the Soviet only 11%.

* Also rejected: three U.S. companies, Standard Oil Co. (N.J.), Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc. and Sinclair Oil Corp. They sought concessions in southwestern Iran.