The Reasons for Military Occupation of Musa Bay (Khor Musa) by British Armed Forces during the World War II, and the Consequences

The area of Musa Bay (Khor Musa) on which two vital and important ports of Imam Khomeini (Port Shapour) and Mahshar have taken place on its shore is located geographically at the far northeast of the Persian Gulf, south of Khuzestan province. Early in the World War II, despite Iran’s neutral declaration, Port Shapour was blitzed and occupied by British Navy on August 24, 1941. Iran's resistance in breaking off its relations with Germany and rapid expulsion of Germans was announced as the main reason of the allied forces invasion, a claim that was not justified in terms of international law. The military occupation of this port deprived Iran from the economic benefits of this important and impressive port from one side, and prevented the growing trend of qualitative and quantitative development of the country from the other side. In general, it made irreversible losses in national and regional economic life of Iran.