Page 77 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Iranian claims 467

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decided that lho Longue member States ohould send identical
notes to the I'oroiun Government rejecting their demand.
7. On December 2 the Tehran prone carried agency
reporto to the effect that the Arub League had decided
to reject n Parisian claim to control aircraft landing in
Buhruin and that un official British spokesman in London
had reaffirmed that Her Majesty's Government did not
recognise the Persian claim to Bahrain. The pro so uloo
reported that un "official source" in the Persian Ministry
of Foreign Affulrs had said that no memorandum had been
sent to "Britain or the Arab League (one version adds "in
the past few days") though the Persian Government would,
of course, take appropriate measures in regard to Persian
sovereignty over Buhrain." There has however been relatively
little cohunent in the Persian press.
0. In fact, no official statement was issued in London
on the subject. The Foreign Office News Department, when
questioned about reports that the Arab League had decided
to protest against Persia's claim to control aircruft at
Bahrain, made the following unofficial comment
"Her Mujesty's Government do not recognise
the Persian Government's claim to Buhrain, nor,
so far us is known, do any other Governments. Persiu has
had no control over Bahruin for nearly two hundred years
and is not therefore in a position to enforce any such
restrictions."
CJ. In the course of an interview with the correspondent
of the newspaper "Kayhun" on December 15, the Persian Minister
of Foreign Affairs denied reports that the Persian Government
had delivered u note on Buhrain to the Arab Governments.
He uuid tliuk the Arab League had no standing in the matter and
that there was no need for the Persian Government to take
uccouvit of the League's views. As he had repeatedly stated,
his Government reserved their rights over Bahrain; they
attached no Importance to statements of incompetent individuals
or groups; they would confirm their position whenever necessary,
but had sent no communication Lo Her Majesty's Governuaent or to
anyone else ut the present time because the latter had not said
anything to make this necessary.