Anglo-Persian Agreement

The Anglo-Persian Agreement was a document involving Great Britain and Persia (Iran) and centered around drilling rights of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. It was never ratified by the Majlis. This "agreement" was issued by British Foreign Secretary Earl Curzon to the Persian government in August 1919. It stated a guarantee of British access to Iranian oil fields (including five northern provinces formerly under the Russian sphere of influence). In return the British would:

• Supply munitions and equipment for a British-trained army
• Provide a 2 million sterling loan for "necessary reforms"
• Revise the Customs tariff
• Survey and build railroads

The document was denounced worldwide as hegemonic, especially in the United States, which also had designs on accessing Iranian oil fields. Eventually, the Anglo-Persian agreement was formally denounced by the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) on June 22, 1921.