At the end of their ministerial meeting in Kuwait, the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a 63-point joint statement, three of which targeted Iran. One clause claimed that “Iran has occupied three islands belonging to the UAE and should end its control.”
Historical records, however, confirm that these islands—Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb—have always been Iranian. Iran’s sovereignty is clear and well-documented, making such claims baseless. This statement reflects a misguided narrative that requires a firm response from Iran to prevent its recurrence in international forums.
Iran’s Historical Rights Over the Three Islands
In A Colonial Legacy: Dispute Over Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb by Farhang Mehr, it is noted that during a UN Security Council session on December 2, 1991, Iran’s representative stated: “Iran’s claim to these islands is long-standing and undeniable. Historical maps and modern encyclopedias alike recognize these territories as part of Iran.”
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi had previously addressed this issue in an interview with the editor of the Indian magazine Bells: “These islands were ours, but around eighty years ago, Britain interfered in their sovereignty, seized them by force, and then claimed them for the territories of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.”
Four months later, he added in another interview: “What we demand has always historically belonged to our country.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to uphold its historical claim to these islands. On March 14, 1993, the Iranian Parliament affirmed: “Iran’s territorial integrity is inviolable, and its geographical boundaries have a well-documented historical basis.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Response to the EU-GCC Joint Statement
Esmail Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the claims in the joint EU-GCC ministerial statement—especially the UAE’s repeated assertions regarding Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa—as “interventionist” and “without basis.”
