Occupation of Iran in World War 2

Further, the Germans were clearly building up in Poland, apparently against Russia.  One stream of British thought suspected that Hitler was trying to blackmail Stalin into moving against the British position in the Middle East, or to obtain further concessions of some kind.  However, Hitler was deadly serious and, despite last minute soviet offers, launched Operation Barbarossa on June 22^nd, 1941.  Ironically, in May 1941, the Red Army had completed its plans to invade Iran.