TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated Iran’s sovereignty over its Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb, and said Tehran is ready only to hold talks with the UAE to remove possible misunderstandings over one of these islands.


“We are ready for talks with the UAE on the misunderstandings (on the implementation of the 1971 Memorandum of Understanding) on Abu Musa,” Zarif wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning.

He deplored the western media for their attempts to stir political tension inside Iran by misquoting him about Iran's soverignty over the Abu Musa island, and stressed that Iran and his ministry are pursuing the same policy on these islands which have been pursued over the last 20 years, that is speaking to the UAE to remove the misunderstandings over the Iranian island of Abu Musa.

Zarif underlined Tehran’s resolve to expand relations with the Persian Gulf littoral states, and said, “The security and tranquility of the Persian Gulf is a constant priority for Iran and it will remain so (in the future).”

Iranian officials have on many occasions rejected the claims raised by the UAE on the three Iranian islands, underlining that such statements are baseless and unfounded.

International documents clearly show that the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa which were historically owned by Iran, temporarily fell to British control in 1903. The islands were returned to Iran based on an agreement in 1971 before the UAE was born.

Iran has repeatedly declared that its ownership of the three islands is unquestionable.

Under international law, no state can defy any agreement, which came into being before its establishment.

Yet, the UAE continues to make territorial claims against the Islamic Republic despite historical evidence and international regulations. Tehran has always stressed that it is ready to remove the misunderstandings through talks. By Fars News Agency

 

The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.