According to Mehr News Agency, Ali Shamkhani described the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council’s repeated claims to Iran’s three Persian Gulf islands and the Arash gas field as unconstructive, and said that neighboring countries should contribute to Iran’s security rather than toy with the red lines that it should not cross.
In a post on his X account, Shamkhani wrote that PGCC’s claims regarding Iranian islands and Arash fields are unconstructive. He stressed that “during the 12-day war, Iran exercised restraint despite some support for aggression.”
“We must not misunderstand Iran’s power in the Persian Gulf. The role of neighboring countries is to build security, not toy with the red lines that the Iranian people should not cross,” he said.
The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) reiterated its well-worn claims to three Iranian islands and the Arash gas field in a statement issued at the conclusion of its 46th summit in Bahrain on Wednesday night.
In its final communiqué, the Security Council reiterated its usual stance and maintained its position and previous resolution condemning Iran’s continued occupation of the three Emirate islands.
The PGCC interfered with Iran’s territorial sovereignty and further claimed that the UAE had sovereignty over the islands, territorial sea, airspace and exclusive economic zone, stating that the islands were an integral part of the Emirati territory.
In another part of the statement, PGCC asserted that the Arash (Al-Durrah) gas field lies entirely within Kuwaiti waters and that ownership of the natural resources in the shared neutral zone, including the Al-Durrah (Arash) gas field, belong exclusively to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, who are the only parties entitled to exploit the resources.
The three islands of the Persian Gulf have historically been part of Iran, and evidence of this is found and supported in countless historical, legal, and geographical documents from Iran and other parts of the world. However, the UAE has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over these islands.
The islands came under British control in 1921, but Iranian sovereignty over them was restored on November 30, 1971, one day after British troops left the area and two days before the UAE became a formal federation.
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