The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian charge d’affaires on Saturday in the absence of the country’s ambassador, critical of commentary on a joint statement emanating from the 6th Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum which had just concluded in Marrakech on Thursday, according to an “Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA” article also published on Saturday.
The statement coming from the 6th Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum issued on Thursday regarding the three islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb, situated in Strait of Hormuz disputed the status of the archipelago situated between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
That declaration expressed support for peaceful solutions to what the attendees referred to as a dispute between Iran and the UAE over these islands.
Respecting a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is one of the essential fundamentals of international relations, according to the Russian ambassador.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the three Persian Gulf islands indeed constitute undisputed Iranian territory, and that the Iranian government rejects any claims to them by any other party in this respect.
The Russian charge d’affaires agreed to review Iran’s objection to the aforementioned statement.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, stressed in a phone call with his Russian colleague on Friday that the Islamic Republic will not compromise its territorial integrity or sovereignty.
The Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa islands in the strategic Strait of Hormuz have been administered by Iran since 1971, when its navy gained control after British soldiers withdrew from what is now the UAE.
However, the UAE also considers them to be part of its own territory, and its stance has recently received increased backing from Russia and China, both of whom Tehran views amicably.
Iran summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Tehran in December, 2022 over a similar joint declaration with Arab governments in the area, and it summoned the Russian ambassador in July over an almost identical joint statement.