Iran denounces PGCC statement on Iranian islands

23 August 2008

Tehran-Iran on Saturday condemned the latest statement from secretary-general of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council over ownership of the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf.

Parliamentarian Kazem Jalali lambasted the PGCC for its anti-Iran statement.

Jalali, Rapporteur of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, added that making use of rude literature against Iran's sovereignty over its three Persian Gulf islands is taking place under the pressure of big powers.

Talking to IRNA, he added that such mischiefs are at the behest of certain big powers aimed at creating discord in the Muslim World and misleading the public opinion from key international issues.

Although there are international and historic documents proving the ownership of Iran over the three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa and the Lesser and Greater Tunbs, the bullying powers have been making use of the issue as a pretext to sow discord among regional and the Muslim nations, Jalali said.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been ready to remove the probable ambiguities over its ownership over the three Persian Gulf islands, the MP said.

He regretted that certain Arab states have time and again made use of inappropriate and incorrect statement about the three Iranian islands.

He made it clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran powerfully safeguards its national borders and its territorial integrity and does not permit any country to violate its borders.

Tehran considers the United Arab Emirates as its own brotherly and friendly country, he said, adding certain mischiefs are resulted from the influence of big and extraterritorial powers, Jalali said.

He also reiterated that several UAE officials are determined to settle the existing dispute with Iran.