The islands, Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb, are claimed by the UAE and Tehran, but have been held by Iran since 1971, shortly before the seven Gulf emirates gained full independence from Britain and formed the UAE, now allied with Washington.
"Examining all past documents shows that these islands belong to Iran and cannot be disputed."
Mohammad Dehghan
Russia supports reaching an agreement between UAE and Iran
On Monday, Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a joint statement in which foreign ministers expressed their support for a UAE initiative to reach a peaceful solution to the issue of the islands through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice.
"Examining all past documents shows that these islands belong to Iran and cannot be disputed," said the Legal Advisor Mohammad Dehghan. READ MORE
