MIDDLE EAST HISTORY POLITICS CULTURE XI-XII Middle East | Page 170

politics. The Iranian issue was the first real test of the intentions of the former
Soviet Union, which occured in a region that had been of strategic and
economic importance to the British since the 19-th century. At the same time
by British largely support, tribal rebellion broke out in south of Iran which
was largely led by the Qashqaeis and which aimed at protesting communist
Tudeh Party influence in the country and at gaining certain concessions from
the central government. At last the ''successful dissolution'' of the rebellion in
the south did provide an opportunity to the government to send the Iranian
military forces into Iranian Azerbaijan (Atrupatakan), restoring the
government's authority there. Evidently all these processes weakened the
USSR influence in Iran.
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