Iranian MP slams Russia on three Persian Gulf islands

Fada Hossein Maleki added that Russia would throw Iran under the bus if it’s necessary, adding that Tehran needs to have strategic ties with Moscow but it should avoid relying solely on the Russians.

Maleki said Russia made similar moves with regard to the Iran 2015 nuclear deal, JCPOA, although it later supported Tehran on other occasions to redress their mistakes.

The Iranian MP said it would be a political and strategic mistake for Russia to give the green light to the Persian Gulf’s Arab countries regarding the three Iranian islands because by so doing, Moscow would disappoint their key supporter in the region.

Referring to the recent statement of the Arab-Russian Conference on the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abou Moussa, Maleki noted that it’s not the first time that the Arab states issue such communiqués.

He however said that the declarations of the Arab countries have not gone beyond mere statements like the recent one because they know that Iran will protect the region and the Persian Gulf in full force.

Maleki also criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran for failing to do enough after the anti-Iranian statement. He said the Iranian people expected the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Russian ambassador over the issue.

Following the statement, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart reaffirmed Iran’s sovereignty over the three islands.