UAE's Claim on Persian Gulf Trio Islands Lacks Historical Basis: MP
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Iranian parliamentarian rejected the claim made by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the three Iranian islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf, saying that the claim has no “historical basis”.
“The three islands are indispensable part of the Iranian soil,” Mohammad Saleh Jokar, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told the Tasnim News Agency on Monday.
Jokar made the remarks in response to the recent comments by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan during his speech at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly about the Iranian islands.
The UAE minister repeated his country’s unsubstantiated claim on the three islands and called for the settlement of the differences at the International Court of Justice.
“Every so often, the UAE makes a comment on the islands,” the Iranian lawmaker said, adding that the country is seeking to undermine the region's order and tranquility.
Stressing that Iran has provided authentic historical documents of its sovereignty over the islands, Jokar noted, “But the Emiratis’ claim has no historical or even logical basis and are merely for provoking Iran and disrupt tranquility."
The 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.
