Iran dismisses(P) GCC’s claims on Persian Gulf islands
ILNA: Iran has lambasted the interfering stance adopted by Persian Gulf Arab states regarding the country’s ownership of three Persian Gulf islands, reiterating that the islands are an inseparable part of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Rehashing the same meddlesome position on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sovereignty over the[three Persian Gulf] islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb has no bearing on the existing legal and historical realities, ” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Wednesday.
A central plank of Iran’s foreign policy is to ameliorate friendly relations with neighbors based on mutual respect and non - interference in one another’s internal affairs, Afkham said.
She further said that the Islamic Republic sees no limit to the enhancement of friendly ties with its neighbors and welcomes constructive interaction as well as all - out cooperation in that respect.
Afkham’s remarks came in reaction to a statement issued at the end of the(Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council’s Tuesday meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha, which raised unfounded allegations about the ownership of the three Iranian islands.
The islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa have always been part of Iran historically, proof of which can be found in 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 baseless claims to the islands.