Abstract: The file concerns the territorial status of a number of islands in the Persian Gulf. The issue arose in response to a request from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited to the Foreign Office in 1938 concerning the extent of Iranian (generally referred to as Persian) territory, in order that the company could choose the precise location of the 100,000 square mile oil concession granted to them by the Iranian Government.The islands principally concerned are Tamb (also referred to as Tumb and Tunb), Little Tamb (also referred to as Nabiya Tunb), Abu Musa, Farur, Little Farur (also referred to as Nabiya Farur), Sirri, Arabi, and Farsi.The papers include correspondence from the Foreign Office describing the position of the British Government with regard to the status of each island; the question of whether to offer an ex gratia payment to the Shaikh of Sharjah in respect of any oil found at Sirri, September-October 1938; papers concerning the extent of Iranian territorial waters and the issue of offshore oil fields, including comments by the Petroleum Department, 1938; and the flying of the flag of the Shaikh of Ras al Khaima over Tamb Island, 1942.The file also includes India Office confidential prints dated 1928 relating to the status of some of the islands concerned.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.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 77; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-33; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This part contains papers relating to the status of certain islands in the Persian Gulf. A large proportion of the papers concern the policy to be adopted by the British Government (as decided by the Persian Gulf Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence) in relation to islands in the Persian Gulf whose ownership by Persia [Iran] had not been established (in the view of the British Government). These islands included Farsi, Arabi, Harqus and Qran.The papers mainly consist of correspondence and India Office Political and Secret Department minute papers. The main correspondents are as follows: the India Office; the Foreign Office; HM Chargé d’Affaires, Tehran, and HM Minister Tehran (Sir Robert Henry Clive); the Acting Persian Minister for Foreign Affairs; the Admiralty; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; the Colonial Office; and the Government of India Foreign and Political Department.The papers also include printed copies of India Office memoranda by John Gilbert Laithwaite entitled ‘Status of certain Groups of Islands in the Persian Gulf.’ (27 August 1928), and ‘Status of the Islands of Tamb, Little Tamb, Abu Musa, and Sirri.’ (24 August 1928).Physical description: 1 item (102 folios)