Iran Asks PGCC Not To Interfere In Its Internal Affairs

Tehran, March 11, IRNA – Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast on Sunday strongly dismissed the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council's (PGCC) recent claims against Iran as "unwelcome" interference in the countryˈs domestic affairs. “Recent statement by foreign ministers of PGCC member states is nothing more than worthless declamations; the claims posed in the statement show that this council doesn’t have a right for understanding the regional issues and logical solutions to them.” Pointing to the ongoing developments in Bahrain, Syria and the occupied Palestinian lands, he called inclusion of claims about the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa in the PGCC statements a sign of the council’s confusion towards regional and international developments. ˈRaising baseless claims cannot change the existing realities and the regional nations had better put on their agenda positive and constructive approaches towards the Islamic Republic of Iran instead of leveling baseless accusations, as this will be in the interest of the regional nations,ˈ Mehmanparast said. International documents clearly show that the three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which were historically owned by Iran, temporarily fell to British control in 1903. The islands were returned to Iran based on an agreement in 1971 before the UAE was born. Iran has repeatedly declared that its ownership of the three islands is unquestionable. Under international law, no state can defy any agreement, which came into being before its establishment. Yet, the UAE continues to make territorial claims against the Islamic Republic despite historical evidence and international regulations. Iranian officials have always stressed that the three Persian Gulf islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa are an inseparable part of the Islamic Republic./end