Need for Active Diplomacy to Assert Sovereignty Over Three Islands

An Iranian parliamentarian stressed the need for more active diplomacy to assert Iran’s sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands after it was challenged once again by littoral states and Russia.
Hossein Noushabadi said Iran may have not worked as actively as needed regarding this issue in its political relations, failing to explain this matter to its allies convincingly. 
“Lack of correct dialogue in this regard and laxity of the diplomatic body, plus efforts by other countries, have caused our friends to make miscalculations,” he told ICANA. 
The United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the three islands of Abu Musa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs in the Persian Gulf, despite countless documents proving Iran’s sovereignty.
In the 6th ministerial meeting of Russia and the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue on July 10, foreign ministers of participating countries issued a statement, saying the issue should be settled through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter.
“We should not allow other countries to simply disregard the Islamic Republic’s sovereignty and let claims override legal and historical documents,” Noushabadi said. 
Along this line, it is a high priority to eliminate deprivation and address the problems of indigenous people in southern Persian Gulf regions, according to the lawmaker. 
Given the level of development and welfare across Iran’s Persian Gulf borders, Iranian local people should have minimum problems so as to avoid providing the enemies with a pretext to claim the lands, he noted. 
“We should not neglect the task of offering appropriate services to Iranian citizens residing in the islands.” 

Insufficient Explanations 

Following the issuance of the statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the contents of a joint statement. 
Alireza Enayati, director general of the Persian Gulf affairs section of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, reaffirmed that the three islands are an integral part of Iran, calling on Russia to revise its stance vis-à-vis the issue.
Authorities in Moscow later provided explanations through certain diplomatic channels, according to Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. 
“We don’t see these explanations sufficient and won’t accept any repetition of such claims about Iran’s territorial integrity,” he said in a joint press conference with his Omani counterpart in Tehran on Monday. 
The statement drew criticism at different levels in Iran, including from legal adviser to Iran’s president, Mohammad Dehqan, who stressed that Iran would not negotiate over three islands. 
“Examining all past documents shows that these islands belong to Iran and cannot be disputed,” he said. 
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also called on neighboring Russia to respect the Iranian nation’s red lines. 
“We would not compromise with any party on this matter,” he said on Sunday. 
He also emphasized that political statements would not distort historical facts. 
Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali on Friday discussed the recent statement with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who expressed Moscow’s respect for Iran’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and emphasized the friendly character of bilateral relations, according to the Embassy.