Iran has rejected as “baseless” a statement by the Persian Gulf Arab states supporting the United Arab Emirates’ alleged claim to three Iranian islands.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said on Saturday that the three Persian Gulf islands ofthe Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa are under the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic, stressing that the repetition of unfounded allegations over the territories would not change historical facts.
On Friday, the six-nation [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council issued a statement at the end of its meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, supporting the UAE’s claim on the three islands.
Emphasizing that friendly ties with neighbors based on a policy of non-interference and mutual respect top the Islamic Republic’s agenda, Afkham said Iran does not consider any limit to promotion of friendly relations with neighboring countries and welcomes cooperation with those states.
The three islands have been historically part of Iran. Countless historical, legal and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world corroborate Tehran’s sovereignty over the islands. The United Arab Emirates has, however, repeatedly laid claim to the islands.
