Russian Envoy Summoned Over Joint Statement on Persian Gulf Islands

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the contents of a joint statement issued by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council and Russia about three islands in the Persian Gulf.
Alireza Enayati, director general of the Persian Gulf affairs section of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, summoned the Russian envoy on Wednesday to convey Tehran’s protest over the statement, issued at the end of the sixth joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the GCC states and Russia in Moscow on Monday, IRNA reported.
The three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found and corroborated by historical, legal and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands.
The islands fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Iran’s sovereignty over the islands was restored.
In their Monday statement, the ministers said 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.
During the Wednesday meeting, Enayati reaffirmed that the three islands are an integral part of Iran, calling on Russia to revise its stance on the issue.
The Russian diplomat said Moscow respects Iran’s territorial integrity and promised to convey Tehran’s protest to his country as soon as possible.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Tuesday that the country forever has full sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands.
Iran’s Vice President for Legal Affairs Mohammad Dehqan also said on Wednesday the country’s sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands is indisputable.
He added that all previous documents prove that the islands belong to Iran.
He emphasized that some regional rulers seek to fabricate the existing evidence and bribe some professors of international law to draw up new documents which have no legal value at all.
There are clear documents about Iran’s ownership of the islands and the country has no doubt in this regard, Dehqan stressed.