Iran-Italy Relations: A Survey of the 16th to 19th National Parliament Debates (The Case of Oil Contract with Agip Mineraria)

Italy was among the countries that contributed to the modernizations efforts in Iran under the First Pahlavi. In the course of the Second World War when Iran was occupied by the Allied forces and Italy had sided with the Axis powers, Iran-Italy relations was severed until after the War when in 1945 Iranian and Italian embassies were re-opened and ties were resumed and up until the end of the Second Pahlavi numerous economic and cultural agreements were signed between the two countries. The current article assesses the commencement of Iran-Italy relations after WWII and employs descriptive-analytical method to study the circumstances under which political, cultural and economic relations with Italy was reviewed in the 16th to 19th national Iranian Parliaments (Majlis). The findings suggest that under the 16th Parliament (Majlis), which was simultaneous with a critical juncture in Iranian history, i.e., the resistance against the Great Britain and the nationalization of oil, relations with Italy was given a special status and the first agreements, deliberations and negotiation for furthering ties with Italy was well underway. Thus, economic and cultural ties were further developed and the most important oil partnership contract with the Italian company Agip Mineraria was signed under the 19th Majlis; Iran’s share in this partnership was 75 percent. Unlike the consortium agreement which offered a fifty-fifty partnership, this agreement with Agip, as compared with other contemporary agreements, served Iran’s interests much better.