Aircraft-hijacking prevention agreement signed

Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin arrived in Tehran and was welcomed by Prime Minister Amir-Abbas Hoveyda, illustrating the expansion of high-level contacts.

Iran and the USSR signed a protocol defining their frontier through new Aras reservoirs, with equal-area territorial exchanges and equal rights to reservoir water.

Iran and the USSR signed a long-term commodity-turnover agreement, reinforcing the commercial side of their rapprochement.

Iran and the USSR signed an agreement on developing economic and technical cooperation, broadening the framework for joint projects.

The first stage of the Soviet-assisted Isfahan steelworks was officially inaugurated in Kosygin’s presence, giving Iran a major symbol of industrial development.

Soviet pilot Valentin Zosimov flew an An-2 aircraft into Iran, prompting Moscow to demand the return of the pilot and plane and confronting Tehran with an asylum dispute.

Brezhnev wrote to Carter opposing outside interference in Iran and warning that military intervention in the neighbouring country would affect Soviet security interests.

A statement published in Pravda warned that foreign interference, especially military intervention in Iran, would affect Soviet security interests.

The monarchy’s remaining authority collapsed in Iran. Soviet diplomacy now faced a revolutionary leadership seeking independence from both Cold War blocs.

Islamist students seized the US embassy in Tehran. The confrontation with Washington altered Iran’s international position; Tudeh welcomed the seizure as an anti-imperialist victory.