July 12 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of Iran has summoned this Wednesday the Russian ambassador in Tehran, Alexei Dedov, in response to a statement published by Russia and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCG) in support of an initiative of the United Arab Emirates ( UAE) to resolve a territorial dispute around three islands through bilateral talks or the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has indicated that Tehran’s “objections” to the content of the statement published regarding the situation on the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, which Iran considers an inalienable part, have been forwarded to Dedov. of his territory.
Thus, it has demanded that Moscow “correct its position” on this matter and has emphasized the “eternal belonging” of these islands to Iran, according to a statement published by the ministry through its website, without Russia having pronounced for now on the matter.
Tehran assures that the islands, which historically belonged to Iran, although they fell under British control in 1903, were returned to the country based on an agreement signed in 1971, shortly before the UAE became a state after gaining independence from the United Kingdom. .
However, the official position of the United Kingdom was to ensure that sovereignty belonged to Sarjah, one of the emirates that make up the UAE, which later reached an agreement with Iran according to which it would retain sovereignty, but Tehran could place troops in the same. The benefits of oil would be shared. By deploying the troops, Iran, then under the rule of Shah Reza Pahlavi, also occupied the islands of Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb.
