Three PG Islands, Iran's Domain : Daily

Tehran, Oct 1, IRNA - Undoubtedly, Iran’s sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa was, is, and will remain the Islamic Republic's territory forever, underscored 'Iran Daily' on Wednesday. Any false statements by top officials of a country and at the largest gathering of world leaders cannot change the realities, stressed the English-language paper in its Opinion column. The daily was criticising UAE's repeated claim to sovereignty over the stated three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf in an address to the 69th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. The UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan objected to the hoisting of Iranian flags on the islands and called for settling the two countries’ differences at the International Court of Justice. The UAE’s use of the annual UN event to raise such an issue, which is nothing but a misunderstanding, is absolutely unacceptable, stressed the paper adding that UAE should know that such statements about the three islands, which have been part of the Iranian territory, cannot change the reality and are only assumed as an unfriendly stance and a threadbare claim. Bilateral issues are normally discussed between governments and such territorial dispute, which Iran regards as a simple misunderstanding, should be resolved between both the nations and it’s not legally right to raise it at an international gathering like the UNGA meeting because this will lead nowhere. Iran respects agreements reached with the UAE on the islands and the officials of the Arab country should not present their illusions as historical facts. If the Emirati officials look at history, many things will be revealed to them and they will find clear answers to their misapprehensions, it pointed out. They should be reminded when and how their tiny country came to existence in the proximity of Iran which has a civilization of thousands of years. History clearly shows that Iran has had a far-reaching influence over the Persian Gulf at the time when the UAE was not there, highlighted the paper. Anyhow, Iran is committed to all agreements with its neighbors and in return expects them not to make unfounded claims similar to those of the UAE, concluded the paper./end