News / Politics

Iran reiterates sovereignty over three islands

Saturday, 12 December 2015 9:48 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 12 December 2015 9:49 AM ]

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber-Ansari (Photo by IRNA)

Iran has rejected a statement by the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that voices support for the United Arab Emirates’ claim to three Iranian islands located in the Persian Gulf.

The littoral states concluded the group’s 36th annual summit in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, using the event’s final communiqué to express support for what they called the Emirates’ “right” to the islands’ soil, waters, and airspace.

Reacting to the statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber-Ansari said on Saturday that the islands of the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa are inseparable parts of the Iranian territory.

“Repeating baseless claims has no effect on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s territorial integrity and is considered an unconstructive position,” he said.

The islands have historically been parts of Iran. The Iranian sovereignty over them has been pointed to in countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in the Islamic Republic as well as other parts of the world.

“Iran rejects any irresponsible statement of opinion regarding its territorial integrity and has prioritized [maintaining] amicable relations based on non-intervention in [others’] domestic affairs, respect for [their] territorial integrity, and mutual respect toward neighbors in its policies,” the official said.

He also expressed Iran’s readiness to develop and deepen friendly relations based on the aforesaid principles toward defusing common threats and resolving regional problems, including terrorism.

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