News - Middle East: Iran has condemned a joint statement by the United Arab Emirates and the United States regarding the three Iranian islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kana’ani reiterated on Wednesday that the three islands are inseparable parts of Iran’s territory and sovereignty, and any comments by third parties in that regard are fundamentally invalid and dismissed.

The Iranian official said the repetition of baseless claims by the UAE about the three Iranian islands and the issuance of joint political statements with other parties lack legitimacy and do not affect the legal status of these islands.

The UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Joe Biden of the United States issued the joint statement following their meeting at the White House on September 23. The statement supported the UAE’s claim to the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf.

“The leaders stressed the importance of reaching a peaceful solution to the dispute over the three islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law including the UN Charter,” said the statement.  

The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found and corroborated by countless 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.

Source: Press TV