General says Iran will not give up disputed Gulf islands

Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said Iranian forces will not give up an inch of the disputed Gulf islands, describing them as an “integral part of Iran’s territory”.

Jafari said the Abu Musa island – one of the four islands which Iran and the UAE are in dispute over – is the beating heart of Iran in the Gulf waters and the Guards will continue to strengthen military capabilities in it.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that the UAE’s actions had entered a new and “completely unacceptable” phase to Tehran, adding that the UAE’s strategic mistakes in its various wars, especially the war in Yemen have prompted it to adopt such unacceptable policies.

The Iranian minister also revealed that his country had sent an “appropriate” political response to Abu Dhabi.

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