Tehran: Iran’s foreign ministry has taken action by summoning the Chinese ambassador in Tehran to express its objection regarding a joint China-UAE statement concerning Iran’s sovereignty over three islands, as reported by Iranian state media on Sunday.
The contested islands – Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb – have been subject to claims by both Iran and the UAE. However, Iran has maintained control over them since 1971, a period shortly preceding the full independence of the seven Gulf emirates from Britain, culminating in the formation of the UAE, which presently maintains close ties with Washington.
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State media reported, “Iran’s objection to the Chinese support of baseless claims in a shared UAE-China statement has been expressed to the Chinese ambassador in Tehran.”
China stands as one of Iran’s primary trading partners over the past decade, lending weight to Iran’s diplomatic outreach to address this matter. State media further emphasized Iran’s stance: “Iran’s foreign ministry emphasizes that the three islands are an eternal part of the country’s territory, and we expect China to revise its position on the issue.”
