IOR/R/15/1/247

This file contains correspondence between British officials in London, Delhi, Bushire, Bahrain, Sharjah, and Tehran over the status of several islands in the Gulf: Tanb [Greater Tumb], Little Tanb [Lesser Tumb], Abu Musa and Sirri [Jazīreh-ye Sīrrī]. The main correspondents are the Senior Naval Officer Persian Gulf; the Political Resident Persian Gulf; Shaikh Sultan bin Salim, ruler of Ras al-Khaimah; H.M. Minister, Teheran; H.M. Secretary of State for India; H.M. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

The correspondence discusses how the Persian Government claimed these islands and the British maintained they were defending the rights of the sheikhs of Trucial Oman. Also discussed is the building of a light house on Tanb Island and the presence of red oxide on the island. The majority of the correspondence is in English but the file also includes letters in Arabic. These carry the stamp 'British Agency Trucial Oman'. Most of the correspondence is in the date range 1933-1934. One letter describes how in 1933 a Persian man-of-war Palang visited the island without prior notification and correspondence discusses correct protocol to be followed; correspondence also discusses how the behaviour of the Persian Government was not compatible with their position as signatories of the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Kellog Pact; also includes a statement of a 'Nakhuda' on the seizing of a boat by Persian ship Palang. The file concerns the British defence of the rights of the sheikhs of Trucial Oman and rights to mining of red oxide. One letter reminds the ruler of Ras al-Khaimah that he is not to lease any part of his territory without permission of the British government.