Iran rejects Russia's intervention in the Gulf islands issue

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has expressed Tehran’s rejection of any Russian or international interference in Iran’s territorial integrity and the issue of the three islands which are in dispute between the UAE and Iran.

Abdollahian said that Tehran “will never tolerate the repetition of such a procedure in the statements and interference be it on the part of Russia or any other party in issues related to the territorial integrity of Iran.”

Russia and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a joint statement in which the foreign ministers of the countries expressed their support for “all peaceful efforts, including the initiative of the UAE and its endeavours to reach a peaceful solution” to the issue of the three islands Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa “through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter.”

Last week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said: “These islands perennially belong to Iran and issuing these kinds of statements is in contradiction to Iran’s friendly relations with its neighbours.”

READ: Iran summons Russia’s envoy over comments on Gulf islands