Recently, Iran and Russia have clashed over the dispute over three islands in the Persian Gulf, which has aroused the attention of the international community. The three islands, Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb, are small in size but strategically important and control the entrances and exits to the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, the three islands are under the de facto control of Iran, but Arab countries such as the UAE have also claimed them, leading to long-term territorial disputes.
Earlier this week, Russia held a strategic dialogue with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. This is a meeting focusing on bilateral relations and economic and trade cooperation, and the joint statement issued after the meeting mostly covers some related content.
However, in a joint statement, Russia questioned Iran's claim to the three islands in the Persian Gulf and supported the UAE's position on this issue. Russia expressed its support for the peaceful settlement of the dispute between the UAE on the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb, solidarity with the position of the Arabs in the territorial dispute with Iran.
This is undoubtedly a rare statement, and it is speculated that Russia may have chosen to curry favor with the UAE and other countries in order to ensure that the Arab countries remain neutral in the current Russia-Ukraine war and avoid leaning towards the side of Ukraine. However, such an approach offended Iran, an ally of Russia, and caused strong dissatisfaction and ** in Iran.
After the Russian side showed its inappropriate position, Iran immediately summoned the Russian ambassador to Iran, Alexei Dedov, and asked him to correct Russia's position on the dispute over the three islands. Iran has made it clear that the three islands are an integral part of Iranian territory and that the UAE has no basis for claiming sovereignty over them.
Iran's spokesman Kanaani also spoke, stressing that Abu Musa Island and the Greater and Lesser Tunb Islands will always belong to Iran, which is the sovereignty of their country and cannot be violated. He also noted that Russia's statements are inconsistent with its position in the SCO, a multilateral organization headed by Russia, of which Iran has just become a full member. He urged Russia to respect Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity and refrain from interfering in Iran's internal affairs.
Iran's deputy leader and Supreme Leader also expressed dissatisfaction with Russia, but still supported Russia's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Iran's ** is not the only statement of Iran towards Russia, Iranian Deputy ** Mohammad Degan has also come forward to make a statement. Degan has come forward to insist that Iran's sovereignty over the three islands is not disputed and that there is no dispute about the issue. He also said that Iran's relations with the UAE are friendly, but if the UAE wants to provoke trouble, Iran will not back down and can embrace war if necessary.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Ali Khamenei also spoke, stressing that the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is in the interests of the Western military-industrial complex. He also criticized the sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and the European Union as an act of hegemonism. He said that Iran supports Russia's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and called on Ukraine to respect Russia's security interests.
As a result, Russian-Iranian relations will suffer, and may also affect the rapprochement process between Iran and the Arab countries, as well as the strategic layout of the SCO.
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