Pars Today

Pars Today - In the historical event of the severing of relations between Iran and Japan, the British government and its embassy in Tehran played the main role.

Following the occupation of Iran in 1941 and the pressure exerted by the Allied forces, especially on the Iranian government, the Iranian ambassador was recalled from Tokyo and diplomatic relations with Japan were severed.

Britain was confident that the presence of the Japanese embassy in Tehran would pose a threat to its own interests. Iran insisted on the continuation of the relationship based on the treaty between the two governments (the Treaty of Friendship), but Britain considered the continued presence of the Japanese in Tehran to be disruptive to regional order and security, as well as to the Allies.

After Japan's defeat in World War II, Iran, like many other countries that had been at war with Japan, participated in the San Francisco Peace Conference and signed the Peace Treaty with Japan on September 8, 1951, and the two countries' embassies in Tehran and Tokyo were reopened in November of that year, after nine years.

During the Iranian oil nationalization movement, when Britain and the United States had boycotted Iranian oil, Japan was the only country that took action to send ships to Iran to buy oil. 

This has remained in the minds of Iranians. Iran-Japan political relations have been expanding since then.

MG/UR