DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran will not negotiate three Gulf islands in dispute with the United Arab Emirates, the Iranian president’s legal adviser said Wednesday after Tehran summoned the Russian ambassador over a statement about the islands.
The islands, Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb, are claimed by the UAE and Tehran, but have been held by Iran since 1971, shortly before the seven Gulf emirates gained full independence from Britain to form the UAE, now allied with Washington.
On Monday, Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a joint statement in which foreign ministers supported an initiative by the UAE to seek a peaceful solution to the islands issue through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice. come.
“Examining all past documents shows that these islands belong to Iran and cannot be disputed,” said legal adviser Mohammad Dehghan.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned the statement between Russia and the GCC as contrary to friendly relations between Iran and its neighbors, adding “the three islands belong to Iran forever” .
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; editing by Toby Chopra)
