ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Tehran on Thursday refused to relinquish control over a number of islands in the Persian Gulf after the European Union and regional countries called on Iran to “end its occupation” of the territories.
"Iran's territorial integrity is not a matter that foreigners dare to discuss," Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on X, responding to a statement from the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The EU and the GCC issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on Iran to “end its occupation of the three islands of the United Arab Emirates, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa,” adding that Iran was violating the sovereignty of the Gulf nation as well as the charter of the United Nations.
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign affairs ministry, said the EU-GCC request was founded on “baseless claims” and that the islands “are and will remain an inseparable part of Iran. The use of misleading concepts or the repetition of false and misleading claims about this important part of Iran's territory does not change the reality of the matter.”
Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have both claimed ownership of the largely uninhabited islands near the Strait of Hormuz for more than four decades.
The UAE considers Iranian control of the three islands as an occupation of parts of its territory. “Iranian military forces occupied the three islands on 30 November 1971, just two days before the establishment of the UAE,” reads a statement on the Gulf nation’s Washington Embassy website.
Iran has pointed to its centuries-long influence over the islands, viewing brief periods of British and Arab control as interruptions to its rule. It backs up its claim with historical maps that depict the islands as part of Persia, according to the Royal United Services Institute, a Britain-based defense and security think tank.
Member states of the EU and the GCC held their first summit in October, discussing regional issues and conflicts, including Iran’s role in the Middle East and its relations with the Gulf states.
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