“The three Iranian islands have been and will be eternal and inseparable parts of the Islamic Republic,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday.
Referring to the recent remarks by Emirati officials regarding the three islands, Mehmanparast said raising such issues will not help bilateral relations and common interests.
Anwar Mohammed Gargash, the minister of state for foreign affairs of the United Arab Emirate (UAE) claimed on November 29 that the three islands belonged to the UAE.
Mehmanparast urged the Emirati officials to refrain from repeating such claims, expressing hope that the UAE would orient its policies toward regional cooperation and convergence which is necessary for strengthening the security and stability of the region.
The UAE has repeatedly laid baseless claims to the islands.
The islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found in and corroborated by countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world.
Mehmanparast stressed the Islamic Republic’s fundamental policy of expanding ties and cooperation with its neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf based on mutual respect, non-interference in other states’ internal affairs and good neighborly relations.
“Iran has always welcomed logical dialogue with regional countries in order to clear possible misunderstandings,” the Iranian official added.
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