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Iran rejected renewed UAE claims over Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb at the U.N. General Assembly, insisting that its sovereignty over the three disputed Gulf islands is complete and “not negotiable.”
Nasser Asadi, an adviser to Iran’s U.N. mission, told the General Assembly that the islands are historically and geographically part of Iran’s sovereign territory, rejecting Abu Dhabi’s call for Tehran to end what the UAE describes as its occupation of the islands.
Asadi also said Iran recognizes “Persian Gulf” as the historical geographical name for the waters separating Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi also rejected the UAE position Tuesday.
“Repeating baseless claims about the Iranian islands, even from the rostrum of the General Assembly, does not alter the reality,” Gharibabadi wrote on X.
“Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb are inseparable parts of Iran’s territory,” he said, calling on Emirati officials to respect what Tehran considers the requirements of good neighborliness and the historical and legal realities of the region.
Iranian representative Amir Saeid Iravani also said the UAE’s claims lacked any basis and reiterated that Tehran considers sovereignty over the islands non-negotiable.
UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar renewed Abu Dhabi’s claim during his U.N. address Monday, describing the islands as Emirati territory under Iranian occupation.
Marar said the UAE supports a peaceful settlement through direct negotiations or referral of the dispute to the International Court of Justice.
He linked the UAE's position to its broader policy of de-escalation and peaceful dispute resolution and also emphasized freedom of navigation and protection of trade and energy flows in the region.
The dispute dates to Nov. 30, 1971, when Iranian forces took control of Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb and entered Abu Musa under an arrangement with the ruler of Sharjah that allowed Iranian forces to be stationed on part of the island without resolving Sharjah’s sovereignty claim.
The developments came shortly before the establishment of the UAE and the end of the British presence in the region.
The UAE considers the three islands Emirati territory under occupation, while Iran says they are part of its sovereign territory.
The Gulf Cooperation Council has kept the issue on its agenda since 1992 and supports the UAE’s call for direct negotiations or referral of the dispute to the International Court of Justice.
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