Daryush Shayegan was referring to the Azerbaijan People's Government, a Soviet-backed state in northern Iran with Tabriz as its capital, which lasted from November 1945 to November 1946: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan_People's_Government>. This is an example of the type of Soviet foreign policy that made the Tudeh party in particular and communism in general less popular in Iran than they might have been and that made a majority of Iranians, probably nearly across the ideological spectrum except pro-UK/US royalists and the pro-Soviet Tudeh party, incline toward the ideology of "Neither East nor West," the ideology that both Mossadeq and Khomeini upheld.
The Soviets, btw, could have made a fresh diplomatic start after the Islamic Revolution, taken Khomeini's advice regarding Afghanistan, and saved themselves a great deal of trouble.
We have, fortunately, a detailed account of the [28
December 1979] meeting [with Khomeini] by the
accomplished Ambassador Vladimir Vinogradov
himself, published in the Moscow Monthly International
Affairs (April 1991). Entitled "Audience At Dawn", it
provides a brilliant insight into Soviet and Iranian
diplomacy. Vinogradov was accompanied by Minister-
Counsellor Yevgeny Ostrovenko and another aide,
Alexander Maryasov. Both spoke Farsi, "The Imam asked
me to thank the Soviet leadership on his behalf for finding
it necessary to inform him [of the Soviet rejection of the
the American request regarding Iran] in advance [as well
as of "the reasons for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan"].
He said he saw it as a sign of friendship and confidence
and appreciated it...
"He remarked that every people had the right to decide
its affairs without interference from outside. He
understood that the Afghan authorities persecuted
clergymen and closed mosques. That was an anti-popular
practice, it was inadmissible, Islam was invisible, nor could
anybody ban it. If what he had heard was true, Soviet
people ought to bring their influence to bear on the Afghan
leadership. Afghanistan was a Muslim country, part of the
Muslim world, and so Iran could not be indifferent to what
went on there. If the leadership there was in the hands of
clever men they would not persecute Islam. The dispatch
of Soviet troops to a Muslim country was certainly a
disagreeable matter unusual for the Soviet Union, a country
which the Iranians respected, and naturally, Iran could not
approve of the action. But since the troops were being
moved in, he would like me to convey to Moscow his advice
that the troops would fulfil their task as speedily as possible
and pull out. Generally speaking, he continued after a brief
pause, he would like the Soviet leadership to treat Muslim
countries with consideration, otherwise Soviet policy toward
them would fail."
Vinogradov pleaded for restraint by the Iranian media.
"Khomeini's eyes flashed. 'May I ask you for two things?'
he asked instead of responding to my suggestion. 'One of
these days, the U.N. Security Council is going to discuss
sanctions against Iran over the U.S. Embassy staff taken
hostage. I cannot understand why the Americans refuse to
come to terms with us on releasing our assets in the United
States. Will the Soviet Union support the demand for
sanctions against Iran? We know that even if no sanctions
are voted, the Americans are going to blockade all of Iran's
Gulf ports. If that were done, could Iran use the Soviet Union
for transit to Europe?' I had no specific instructions on that
score but I could not really confine myself to telling
Khomeini that I would convey his request to Moscow." The
assurances were given instantly and carried out.
Iranian radio soon broadcast news of the meeting, sharpened
Khomeini's response but omitted his requests. He began
criticising Moscow three months later as Soviet troops dug in.
(A. G. Nooran, "Afghanistan Declassified," Frontline 19.12,
8-21 June 2002,
<http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1912/19120620.htm>)
It was a quixotic enterprise to try to run Afghanistan directly and unilaterally from Kabul by using Soviet troops anyway. Instead of that, the Soviets might have withdrawn troops after deposing Hafizullah Amin and worked with Khomeini on Afghanistan thereafter. That would have tempered Khomeini's policy toward Tudeh. -- Yoshie