The foreign policy adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, cautioned that the United Arab Emirates’ claims of ownership over three contested islands could “destabalise the region’s security”.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ali Akbar Velayati on Thursday reiterated his country’s stance towards the islands and said they are a part of Iran’s history and are an “integral part of our territory”.
The decades-long dispute is over the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa – three islands in the Strait of Hormuz that have been governed by Iran since 1971 and are claimed by the UAE as part of its territory.
The islands, where Iran launched military drills in August to showcase its readiness to defend them, have increasingly become the subject of political tensions.
“The UAE’s claims regarding the three islands have created problems between two neighbouring countries,” Velayati said. “We will not allow any false claims regarding the Persian Gulf to become a reality.”
“Repeated claims by the UAE about the three islands will destabilise the region’s security,” he added.
Post from www.aljazeera.com