GCC condemns Iranian 'fallacies' about sovereignty of three occupied islands

The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) has condemned statements made by Iran that “infringe” on the UAE's rights over its occupied islands.

GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said Iran's recent remarks about sovereignty of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb contained “fallacies and false claims”.

“These statements infringe upon the rights of the UAE regarding its three islands, which are occupied by Iran,” said Mr Albudaiwi.

They also “contradict the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and good neighbourliness – principles which Iran violated through its aggression against the sovereignty and independence of the State of Qatar,” he added, referring to Iran's attack on Al Udeid US airbase in Doha during its 12-day war with Israel.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, reiterated his country's claim to the islands on Sunday.

“In terms of history, in terms of law, and in terms of what exists in reality, there is no doubt and no scepticism about the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb,” he said.

The three islands in the Arabian Gulf have been a point of contention between the UAE and Iran since they were seized by Tehran in 1971, leading to a decades-old quarrel.

The islands sit near an important oil shipping channel, the Strait of Hormuz. For years, the UAE has pushed for arbitration to settle the status of the islands in accordance with international law.

The GCC Secretary General's response came after Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Parliament of Iran, warned on Saturday that that its neighbours should not test the Iranian pe