دانشگاه شهید بهشتی مجله تاریخ ایران 2008-7357 19 1 2026 03 21 Iran-US Trade Relations during World War II (1941-1945) روابط تجاری ایران و آمریکا در جنگ جهانی دوم (1324- 1320ش) 1 29 106342 10.48308/irhj.2025.238963.1406 FA زهرا کهنسال لاخانی دانشجوی دکتری تاریخ انقلاب اسلامی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه بین المللی امام خمینی (ره)، قزوین، ایران محمد بختیاری دانشیار گروه تاریخ. دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه بین المللی امام خمینی (ره)، قزوین، ایران. 0000-0003-2688-9648 Journal Article 2025 02 27 Abstract The occupation of Iran during World War II brought significant changes to the country’s political, economic, and social spheres, as well as to its foreign relations. Prior to the war, Germany was one of Iran’s main trading partners; however, with the occupation of Iran, the United States replaced it. The present study aims to examine Iran–U.S. trade relations during World War II, the volume and diversity of exchanged goods, and the reasons for fluctuations in these exchanges. This research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach, relying primarily on library and archival sources- especially Iran’s trade statistics and data published by Bank Melli and the Customs Administration. The findings indicate that during World War II, the volume and value of trade between Iran and the United States, particularly Iran’s imports from that country, showed an upward trend, making the U.S. Iran’s second-largest trading partner. The primary factors behind this shift include the U.S. military presence in Iran, the employment of American military and economic advisers, the implementation of the U.S. Lend–Lease Act, Iran’s efforts to reduce British and Soviet influence by engaging a third power (the U.S.), and the transformation of America’s isolationist policy toward active global engagement. These factors had a substantial impact on the expansion of Iranian–American trade during this period. Introduction The history of Iran–U.S. relations dates back to the early reign of Naser al‑Din Shah Qajar. Amir Kabir, seeking to curb British and Russian influence, instructed Hajji Mirza Ahmad Khan, Iran’s envoy in the Ottoman Empire, to negotiate with the U.S. minister there, leading to the Treaty of Friendship and Navigation in 1851. Following Amir Kabir’s dismissal and British obstruction, the treaty was abandoned. In 1856, amid strained Iran–Britain relations and war between the two states, Mirza Ahmad Khan and U.S. Minister Carol Spence signed a similar consular and commercial agreement in Istanbul, emphasizing the exchange of ambassadors; this materialized only in 1883 with the arrival of Samuel Greene Benjamin as the first American ambassador. Until World War I, Iran was not a priority in U.S. diplomacy, though the Iranian government sought to enlist a “third power” such as America—distant and without a colonial record—to counter Britain and Russia. The hiring of American financial advisers like Morgan Shuster and Arthur Millspaugh followed the same strategy. However, a substantial U.S. presence in Iran was delayed by Washington’s isolationist policy and obstruction by Iran’s northern and southern neighbors. World War II changed this dynamic: Britain and the Soviet Union, weakened and needing U.S. assistance to transport supplies from the Persian Gulf to the USSR, opened the door to American military and economic involvement in Iran. During the war, political and economic relations between the two nations intensified, and the United States became one of Iran’s principal trading partners. The literature review indicates that, to date, various works—including books, theses, and articles—have been written on Iran–U.S. relations; however, none has comprehensively and independently addressed the commercial relations between the two countries during World War II. Moreover, previous studies have not utilized statistical data published by the Customs Administration and Bank Melli Iran. Among the research relevant to this period is the article “Iran, the United States, and World War II” by Mohammad Amir Sheikh‑Nouri and Mohammad Valipour (2006), which examines U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union and the presence of American military forces in Iran. Hossein Abadian (2011), in his article “The United States and the Military Significance of Iran in World War II,” focuses on Iran’s geographical and military position. Similarly, Marjan Borhani (2015), in her article “Iran–U.S. Relations (1941–1945) Based on Documents,” presents an overview of the political, economic, and military relations between the two countries. Materials And Methods The present study examines Iran–U.S. commercial relations between 1941 and 1945 (1320–1324 SH), with the aim of addressing both the volume and diversity of goods exchanged between the two sides, as well as analyzing the factors and conditions that contributed to the expansion of bilateral trade. To investigate this topic, a descriptive–analytical method is employed, drawing upon library sources, archival documents, newspapers, and statistical data published in Bank Melli Iran Magazine, the Customs Administration, and Business Economics Magazine. This study employs tables and charts to illustrate the diversity, volume, and value of goods exported from Iran to the United States and vice versa. Result and Discussion The background of Iran–U.S. relations dates back to the early reign of Naser al‑Din Shah Qajar. At that time, Amir Kabir, seeking to involve the United States in Iran’s political arena to offset British and Russian pressure and interference, instructed Hajji Mirza Ahmad Khan, Iran’s envoy to the Ottoman Empire, to negotiate with the U.S. minister in that country. These negotiations resulted in the signing of a Treaty of Friendship and Navigation in 1851 CE. However, with Amir Kabir’s dismissal and British obstruction, the treaty’s exchange was abandoned. Five years later, in 1856 CE, when relations between Iran and Britain had deteriorated and war had broken out between them, a similar agreement concerning consular and commercial affairs was concluded in Istanbul between Mirza Ahmad Khan and U.S. Minister Carol Spence. This agreement emphasized the need to dispatch ambassadors; however, this occurred only more than two decades later, in 1883, when Samuel Greene Benjamin arrived as the first American ambassador to Iran. Until World War I, Iran remained outside the sphere of U.S. diplomatic interest. Since Amir Kabir’s time, however, Iran had sought to utilize a “third power” such as Austria, Germany, or the United States to curb Britain’s and Russia’s excessive demands. America, due to its geographical distance and lack of a colonial past, was considered a suitable choice. The employment of American financial advisers such as Morgan Shuster and Arthur Millspaugh was part of this same policy. Nonetheless, a substantial and sustained American presence in Iran failed to materialize—sometimes due to U.S. isolationism, and at other times owing to obstruction by Iran’s northern and southern neighbors. This situation persisted until World War II, when the weakening of Britain and the Soviet Union and their need for U.S. assistance to transport equipment from the Persian Gulf to the USSR finally created an opportunity for America. During this war, accompanied by the U.S. military presence in Iran and the hiring of American military and financial advisers, political and economic relations between the two nations expanded significantly, with the United States becoming one of Iran’s main trading partners. During World War II, Iran’s trade volume and value with the United States—particularly imports—rose sharply, making the U.S. Iran’s second‑largest trading partner. Key drivers of this shift included the American military presence in Iran, the employment of U.S. military and economic advisors, implementation of the U.S. Lend‑Lease Act, Iran’s strategy to counter British and Soviet influence through a “third power” (the U.S.), and America’s move from isolationism to active global engagement. Together, these factors significantly expanded bilateral trade in this period. Conclusions World War II marked a turning point in Iran–U.S. trade relations. Prior to this, Germany had been one of Iran’s most important trading partners; however, following the Allied occupation of Iran and the presence of American advisers, the United States replaced Germany and became one of Iran’s principal partners. The Iran–U.S. Trade Agreement and the Lend‑Lease Act played a key role in increasing Iran’s imports from the United States. Imports from the U.S. rose from about 2 percent before the occupation to an average of 17 percent, with their value growing from 7 percent to 19 percent of total imports. Likewise, the value of Iran’s exports to the United States doubled, and its share rose from an average of 12 percent to 22 percent, although the volume of exports remained unchanged. In most years, Iran’s trade balance with the United States was positive because the value of Iranian exports-such as carpets and gum tragacanth—exceeded that of imports, despite the fact that the volume of imports from the U.S. was several times greater than exports. In 1944 and 1945, due to the import of high‑value jewelry and the purchase of used wartime transport equipment, the trade balance turned negative. Iran’s principal export commodities to the United States included carpets, gum tragacanth, plant extracts, and animal products (excluding meat), while petroleum products accounted for the largest share by volume. On the other hand, transport equipment, tires, metals, paper products, and chemicals formed the bulk of imports from the United States. Together, these goods comprised 90 percent of the total value of trade between the two countries during this period. اشغال ایران در جنگ جهانی دوم، تغییرات گسترده‌ای در عرصه‌های سیاسی، اقتصادی، اجتماعی و روابط خارجی کشور به وجود آورد. پیش از جنگ، آلمان یکی از شرکای اصلی تجاری ایران بود، اما با اشغال ایران، آمریکا جایگزین آن شد. پژوهش حاضر با هدف بررسی روابط بازرگانی ایران و آمریکا در طول جنگ جهانی دوم، میزان و تنوع کالاهای مبادله‌شده و نیز دلایل نوسانات این مبادلات انجام شده است. این مطالعه با رویکردی توصیفی ـ تحلیلی و با اتکا به منابع کتابخانه‌ای و اسنادی، به‌ویژه احصائیه‌های تجاری ایران و آمارهای منتشرشده از سوی بانک ملی و اداره کل گمرک، تدوین شده است. یافته‌های پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که در دوره جنگ جهانی دوم، حجم و ارزش مبادلات تجاری میان ایران و آمریکا، به‌ویژه واردات ایران از این کشور، روندی افزایشی داشته و آمریکا به دومین شریک تجاری ایران تبدیل شده است. از مهم‌ترین عوامل این تحول می‌توان به حضور نظامی آمریکا در ایران، استخدام مستشاران نظامی و اقتصادی آمریکایی، اجرای قانون وام و اجاره آمریکا، تلاش ایران برای کاهش نفوذ انگلیس و شوروی با بهره‌گیری از نیروی سوم (آمریکا) و نیز تغییر سیاست انزواطلبانه آمریکا به سوی حضور فعال در عرصه جهانی اشاره کرد. این عوامل در مجموع تأثیر چشمگیری بر گسترش تجارت میان ایران و آمریکا در این دوره داشته‌اند.

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