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GCC condemns Iranian settlements on occupied UAE islands
Multiple statements by senior Iranian officials have, in recent times, included announcements of projects that are 'not legitimate'
The GCC Ministerial Council has condemned the Iranian government’s continued construction of residential facilities to settle Iranians on three UAE islands.
Iran has continually occupied Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa islands, conducted military exercises, sent senior Iranian officials to the occupied lands, and termed one of the islands a "part of national identity", the Council said.
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"Any decisions, practices, or actions taken by Iran on the three islands are null and void and do not change anything of the historical and legal facts that unanimously support the right of sovereignty of the UAE over its three islands," the Ministerial Council of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said in its final statement, issued at its 164th session.
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UAE's sovereignty extends over the three islands, and its territorial waters, airspace, continental shelf, and exclusive economic zone of the three islands, the statement added.
Multiple statements by senior Iranian officials have, in recent times, included announcements of projects that are "not legitimate", both residential and recreational. Here's a timeline of recent events:
On May 13, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy implemented new operational military arrangements in the area of what Iran calls the "Naziat Islands," which constitute the three UAE islands.
Iranian officials held a ceremony on Abu Musa, and said "the three islands were and will always remain Iranian," on April 13.
In March, a number of senior Iranian military personnel visited the UAE islands, inspected bases and underground warehouses. Iran also termed Abu Musa as part of its "national identity". Iran also claimed ownership of the three UAE islands in a statement on March 1.
In November last year, Iran unveiled a plan to establish a tourist, recreational, and residential complex extending over 30 hectares on Abu Musa Island. The start of 110 housing units' construction and the opening of the Abu Musa Multipurpose Port, was also announced.
Negotiations needed
The GCC Ministerial Council called on Iran to respond to the UAE's efforts to resolve the issue through direct negotiations or by resorting to the International Court of Justice.
The Ministerial Council also commended the European Union’s position on the issue of the Iranian occupation of the three occupied islands, in the joint statement of the first GCC-EU summit issued on October 16, 2024, in Brussels.
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