Occupation of Iran in World War 2

Having taken the spoils from Poland, Stalin started looking for new bounty.  The USSR gobbled up most of the Baltic States, while putting pressure on both Iran and Finland.  While Iran tried to obtain a treaty with Russia, the Russians placed impossible demands on them, including the release of Iranian communists and the exclusive use of Iranian oil.  The effective surrender of their only possible Arab ally, turkey, caused the Iranians to tremble.  The Soviet invasion of Finland caused the Iranians to overcome their concerns about dealing with Britain, and they tried to make a secret deal with them.  The British were reluctant to get too involved in Middle Eastern affairs, but they made plans for sending British troops to defend the oil fields and Iraq, secretly deciding to declare war on the USSR if they moved against Iran or Afghanistan.