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64. Persian Claim to the Tamb Islands and Bu Musa.—This claim is discussed
exhaustively in the Historical Summary of Events 1907-1928(,f‘) and in a Foreign
Office Memorandum of 1934.C’) It is largely based on the administration of the
islands by the Qasimi Shaikh of Lingah at a time when he held the position of = -
Governor there under the Persian Government. When this governorship was
extinguished in 1887 the administration of Tamb was transferred to Ras al Khaimah
and that of Bu Musa to Sharjah. The claim has never been admitted by
Her Majesty’s Government and has been formally rejected on several occasions.
65. In 1930 the Persians objected at the alleged hoisting of the Union Jack
on Tamb and Bu Musa. They were informed that as the islands belonged to
Ras al Khaimah and Sharjah respectively there was no question of the British
flag being flown on them.C8) The possibility of inducing the Qawasim to sell
Tamb to the Persians was considered at this time. The former were approached
on the subject but refused to agree.
66. In 1933 and 1934 a number of incidents occurred. In the former year
a Persian warship visited Tamb and landed a party which inspected the lighthouse.
In 1934 the Governor of Bandar Abbas and other Persian officials visited Tamb :
in a motor dhow. Subsequently a Trucial Coast dhow was seized by a Persian
warship in Tamb territorial waters and on two occasions a Persian warship visited
the island. On the second of these a party was landed. A vigorous protest was
made and the Persian Government was informed orally that His Majesty’s
Government would as a last resort protect the interests of the Trucial Shaikhs
by force.(49). It was feared that the Persians would refer the case to the Council
of the League of Nations and the line to be followed was discussed but the
eventuality did not arise. In 1935 the Persians protested at the grant of red oxide
concessions for Bu Musa by the Ruler of Sharjah and sent a customs launch to
the island. The protest was rejected.
67. After this nothing more was heard of the matter until the end of 1948
when the Persians expressed a wish to locate administrative offices on Tamb and
Bu Musa. In 1949 there were rumours first that the Persians were preparing to
refer the case to the United Nations and later that they intended to occupy the
islands by force. His Majesty’s Government’s attitude was once more clearly
explained in a note from His Majesty’s Embassy at Tehran to the Persian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.(50)
68. In 1949 the Persians erected a flagstaff with a tin flag on Nabiyu Tamb.
It was promptly removed by the Royal Navy. In 1951 there were reports in the
i
Persian press that a Persian commission was to be sent to Bu Musa. A Persian
warship visited the island and landed a party which made enquiries from the local
inhabitants. The fact that the island was subject to the Ruler of Sharjah was once
more brought to the notice of the Persian Government.^1)
69. Early in 1953 reports were received that the Persians were contemplating
!
the despatch of troops to occupy the islands claimed by them and for several weeks
reconnaissances were carried out over the islands by Royal Air Force aircraft
Nothing further was heard of the matter beyond an unconfirmed report of the
establishment of a larger garrison on Sirri.

VII Oil

(a) General
70. Oil exploration options were obtained by the D’Arcy Exploration Company
from all the States except Umm al Qaiwain and Kalba in 1935 and 1936. Since
then Petroleum Concessions Ltd., which is the Persian Gulf associate of the Iraq
Petroleum Company, or their associate company Petroleum Development (Trucial
Coast) Ltd., which was formed for operational purposes on the Trucial Coast have
obtained operating concessions for the land territories of all the Trucial States

(44) pp. 97-104, P.G. 13.
(4T) E 5652/3283/91 of 1934.
£3 ™cran t0,F-°- DcsPatch 492 of October 7. 1930 (E 5640/1358/91 of 1930).
( ) Telegrams from F.O. to Teheran. 92 and 93 (E 6019/3283/91 of 1934)
(so) Teheran to F.O. Despatch 304 of August 24. 1949 (E 10660/1082/91 of 1949)
( ) Teheran to F.O. Despatch 132 of April 26. 1951 (EA 1081 /29/ of 1951)
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