Iran summons Russian envoy in protest over meddlesome statement

Iran has summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires to Tehran in protest at a recent statement issued by Russia and several Arab countries on Iran’s three Persian Gulf islands of Bu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb.

According to Press TV, the Russian diplomat was summoned by the assistant to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's director general for the Persian Gulf affairs on Saturday.

The development came after the final statement of the 6th Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum, which was held in Morocco on December 20, reiterated the United Arab Emirates' baseless claims about the three Iranian islands.

The Iranian diplomat conveyed the Islamic Republic's "strong protest" in writing to the Russian envoy over Moscow's repeated support for the "groundless claims" that were included in the statement.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry official reminded the Russian diplomat of "the necessity of showing respect for 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 eternally belong to Iran,” emphasizing that "the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran considers any claim in this regard by any party 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 Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, the proof of which can be found in and corroborated by countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world. The UAE, however, 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.

Reacting to the Arab-Russian summit's statement on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call that the Islamic Republic would never compromise on its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He once again reiterated that the three islands in the Persian Gulf are an “inseparable” part of the Iranian territorial integrity.

The Russian foreign minister, for his part, said Moscow always respects Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, emphasizing that such a policy should never be questioned.

Lavrov also described Russia's relations with Iran as strategic.

ME