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Economically, Iran held a pivotal role for both the British and the Soviets, particularly due to its oil reserves. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, operating predominantly in the regions of Abadan, secured vital resources for the British war machine. However, Reza Shah's attempts to renegotiate oil agreements strained relationships and heightened British suspicions about his reliability.
The Soviets also recognized their strategic interests in Iran, fearing that a Nazi-aligned regime could expose crucial resources and threaten their own Northern territories. This realization paved the way for the joint invasion that would soon follow, a desperate maneuver to avert the potential of a hostile, pro-German Iran influencing the Middle East.