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UAE Demands Iran End “Occupation” and Give Access to Disputed Persian Gulf Islands
The United Arab Emirates has renewed its demand that Iran relinquish control of three strategically located islands in the Persian Gulf Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb and grant full access or sovereignty to Abu Dhabi, according to recent diplomatic statements and regional communiqués.
The islands lie near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime oil chokepoints, and have been a longstanding point of contention between the two countries.
Abu Dhabi’s position, reflected in statements supported by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and echoed in some international declarations, asserts that Iran’s continued control of the islands constitutes an “occupation” and violates bilateral agreements and principles of international law.
UAE officials have called on Tehran to either enter direct negotiations to resolve the dispute or submit the matter to the International Court of Justice for arbitration.
Iran has rejected these claims, with Foreign Ministry spokespeople insisting that the three islands are an “inseparable part” of Iranian territory and that repeated assertions by the UAE do not create legal rights nor change historical and geographic realities.
Tehran has condemned statements by the UAE and GCC as “baseless” and maintained that its sovereignty over the islands has been continuous since the early 1970s.
The dispute dates back to the withdrawal of British forces from the region in 1971, when Iran took control of the islands shortly before the UAE became an independent federation.
Since then, Abu Dhabi has pursued international support for its claim, but efforts at negotiated settlement or international arbitration have repeatedly stalled, and the territorial disagreement remains unresolved.
