The July 23 revolution and pacts (25), Pact expanded iii-Iran. The October 4, 1955 issue of The Egyptian Gazette carried a report headlined: Iranians announce decision to join, Turco-Iraqi defence pact, Protocol to be signed shortly in Teheran. The report said: “Iran today informed Iraq that she had decided to join the Turco-Iraqi defence pact signed in Baghdad last February. Britain and Pakistan have since joined the pact. “According to well-informed sources here, the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Pakistan and Iraq will arrive in Teheran shortly to sign the protocol of Iran's adherence to the pact. The aim of the pact is to link countries ‘actively concerned with security and peace in the Middle East'. It lasts for five years.” Now, the purpose of the Turco-Iraqi pact (now tuned into the Baghdad pact) became all too clear to whoever might have had the least doubts about it, or whoever might have laboured under any sort of political optimism or shortsightedness. Turkey, Iraq, Persia and Pakistan would form a defensive cordon along the southern fringe of the ‘former' USSR, would help meet the Soviet and other threats to the regime such as (to give but one example) the Suez crisis in 1956. The United States, although heavily involved in the various security guarantees, did not become an official member. Nonetheless, the security agreement fit US strategic interests in the region. Through Turkey, the Middle East was linked to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and through Pakistan, to the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). US influence continued through guarantees of military aid and diplomatic support. Moreover, the United States joined the military committee of the alliance in 1958. Later, The Egyptian Gazette of October 13, 1955 reported Iran's official step to join the pact. Under the headline of: Iran joins pact: Now official The Gazette said: “Deputy Premier Abdel-Hussein Hamzavi officially announced Iran's adherence to the Turco-Iraqi pact. “Iran will deposit the instruments of here adherence to the pact at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry in the next few days, it is learned. “The decision taken by the Iranian Cabinet on October 10 was this morning officially delivered to Premier Nury el-Said in his capacity as Acting Foreign Minister, by Hassan Shariyar, Director of the Political Department at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. “King Faisal II of Iraq sent a telegram of congratulations to the Shah (of Iran) saying that the decision would have a powerful effect on the cause of world security and progress.” [email protected]
