The target was the White Russian Caspian Flotilla interned at Anzali, Iran, which was under the custody of the British North Persian Force.

The task force was composed of four auxiliary cruisers (Proletariy, Rosa Luxemburg, Pushkin, Bela Kun), four destroyers (Karl Liebknecht, Delnyi, Deyatelnyi, Rastoropnyi), two gunboats (Kars and Ardagan) the transport Gretsiya and other minor units.

[3] The Persian governor formally accepted the Soviet Russian presence, the British/White detachment capitulated and fled the city on ground while the entire flotilla was seized without resistance.

carrier) Volga, six seaplanes, four British motor torpedo boats, ten merchants, a number of support, auxiliary and minor units in addition to large amount of supplies and ammunition.

A number of political analysts at the time, among them Arnold Toynbee, denounced what they perceived as a decline of British influence on the Caucasus and Persia itself.