IOR/L/PS/12/3851

The file concerns the claim by the Government of Iran to the island of Sirri [Jazīreh-ye Sīrrī], which was occupied by the Iranian customs authorities.

The issue arose following the seizure by inhabitants of the island of a dhow from Ras al Khaimah. The incident produced a protest by the British Legation, Tehran to the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, in which the British Government, while acknowledging Iran's de facto occupation of the island, denied any acceptance of Iran's de jure sovereignty there. In response, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted both Iran's de facto and de jure sovereignty. The correspondence shows that following this, the Foreign Office decided against reiterating the British position in regard to sovereignty over the island. The issue of the boat that had been seized was amicably settled (folio 6).

The file also contains copies of earlier correspondence dated November-December 1931.

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.