Iran has summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires to Tehran in protest against a recent decision Statement by Russia and several Arab countries on the three Iranian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb.
The Russian diplomat was summoned on Saturday by the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Assistant Director General for Gulf Affairs.
The development came after the final statement of the 6th Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum held in Morocco on December 20 reiterated the UAE's baseless claims over the three Iranian islands.
The Iranian diplomat conveyed in writing to the Russian envoy the Islamic Republic's “strong protest” against Moscow's repeated support for the “baseless allegations” contained in the statement.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry official reminded the Russian diplomat of “the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries as one of the most recognized and fundamental principles in international relations.”
The diplomat also reiterated Tehran's unwavering position that “the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf belong to Iran in perpetuity,” stressing that “the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran considers any claim by any party in this regard to be null and void and unacceptable.”
For his part, the Russian diplomat said he would convey Iran's strong protest to his country's authorities as soon as possible.
The three islands in the Persian Gulf were historically part of Iran, which can be proven and confirmed in countless historical, legal and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world. However, the UAE has repeatedly claimed ownership of the islands.
The islands came under British control in 1921, but on November 30, 1971, one day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Iran's sovereignty over the islands was restored.
Reacting to the Arab-Russian summit statement on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call that the Islamic Republic will never compromise on its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He reiterated that the three islands in the Persian Gulf are an “inseparable” part of Iran’s territorial integrity.
The Russian Foreign Minister, in turn, said Moscow always respects Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty and emphasized that such a policy should never be questioned.
Lavrov also described Russia's relations with Iran as strategic.