Historical eventDecember 151946

Iran crisis of 1946

U.S.-backed Iranian troops brought an end to the Iran crisis when they marched on the breakaway Republic of Mahabad and recaptured the territory.

80th anniversary in 2026

Everything on December 15Original source

In context

When
Sunday, December 15 194680 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1940s
Anniversary
80th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: 1945 – 1946-12-15.

Place: Iran, Pahlavi Iran.

Type: armed conflict and crisis.

What came before

Part of: Cold War.

Background After Germany broke its pact with the Soviets and invaded the USSR in June 1941 , the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union jointly occupied neutral Iran as a preventive measure, starting on August 25, 1941. They justified their invasion by the need to use Iran as a gateway for delivery of Lend-Lease supplies to the Soviet Union from British India between 1941 and 1945. [ 1 ] Iran had long been torn between the bordering zones of influence of Britain and Russia,

What happened

The Iran crisis of 1946, also known as the Azerbaijan crisis in Iranian sources, was one of the first crises during the aftermath of World War II, sparked by the refusal of Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union to relinquish occupied Iranian territory despite repeated assurances. The end of World War II should have resulted in the end of the Allied joint occupation of Iran. Instead, pro-Soviet Iranians proclaimed the separatist Azerbaijan People's Government and the Kurdish separatist Republic of Mahabad.

December 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1946Iran crisis of 1946
  2. 1993The Troubles
  3. 1997Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183
  4. 2000Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
  5. 2001Leaning Tower of Pisa
  6. 2005Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
  7. 2010Refugee
  8. 2013South Sudanese Civil War
  9. 2014Man Haron Monis
  10. 20172017 Java earthquake
  11. 2019Citizenship Amendment Act protests

Also in 1946

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Everything we record for 1946 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Iran crisis of 1946”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/iran-crisis-of-1946-1946-december-15, accessed October 24, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Iran crisis of 1946 happen?

December 15 1946 — 80 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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