Alwaght- Iran will never tolerate any interference when it comes to its territorial integrity, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, reacting to recent claims about the three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs.
Addressing a joint press conference with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Tehran on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran would never pull any punches with any party over the country’s national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
The top Iranian diplomat made the remarks in reaction to a joint statement issued last week by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Russia that challenged Iran’s sovereignty over the three islands.
In their statement, the ministers said the issue should be settled through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador to Tehran, Alexey Dedov, and voiced the Islamic Republic’s objection to the joint statement.
"After the Russian ambassador was summoned by the [Iranian] Foreign Ministry, we received certain explanations from Russian officials, but we do not consider them to be sufficient and we do not tolerate the repetition of such an approach by Russia or any other side in issues pertaining to Iran's territorial integrity," Amir-Abdollahian told the presser.
The three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found 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 claim to the islands.
The islands fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a 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.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Amir-Abdollahian further noted that Iran and Oman have been following up on the implementation of the agreements previously signed between the two countries.
Over the past 22 months, the volume of trade transactions between Tehran and Muscat have more than doubled, which is a remarkable record, he said.
The top Iranian diplomat added that a meeting of the two countries' joint economic committee would be held in Tehran to accelerate the promotion of bilateral cooperation.
"We believe that the neighboring countries can increase their relations constantly, and this is what our region needs [to achieve] for sustainable development, security and stability," he emphasized.
He urged the Persian Gulf littoral states to promote cooperation based on dialogue which is a leading factor in achieving peace, security and sustainable progress.
The Iranian foreign minister said Iran's initiative to hold a meeting with the eight Persian Gulf states plus Yemen has been welcomed by these countries and expressed hope the session would be convened in the future.
He pointed to the "strategic and consolidated" relations between Tehran and Muscat and commended Oman's contribution towards facilitating negotiations among the regional countries to bring their stance closer to one other.
Amir-Abdollahian also hailed Oman's diplomatic efforts to help remove unilateral sanctions against Iran and said Muscat would proceed with its role in lifting cruel sanctions against Tehran.
Referring to the ongoing talks in Yemen, the Iranian foreign minister expressed hope that the intra-Yemeni negotiations would put an end to the war, establish lasting peace, remove the humanitarian blockade and boost development and progress.
Elsewhere in the presser, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran's support for the territorial integrity of the countries engaged in the war in Ukraine in accordance with international law and stressed the need to end the war through political approaches.
Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, with President Vladimir Putin saying the goals were the “demilitarization and de-Nazification” of the East European country.
The West alleges that Iran has been providing Russia with military equipment, including drones, for use in Ukraine, an allegation categorically rejected by the Islamic Republic.
The US and the European countries have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. Recently, Washington sent Kiev cluster munitions which are banned in more than 120 countries.
Oman seeks to promote peace, security through strong will: Albusaidi
The Omani foreign minister, for his part, said his country has always been following a policy to promote peace and security through a strong will.
Albusaidi added that firm political determination would result in proper solutions to all problems.
Referring to his fruitful talks in Tehran on issues of common concern, he noted that the sides discussed a possible agreement on preferential tariff.
The Omani foreign minister arrived in Tehran earlier on Monday to hold talks with senior Iranian officials about the latest mutual, regional and international developments.
