Iran's Velayati Rejects UAE Claims to Three Persian Gulf Islands

Ali Akbar Velayati, a former Iranian foreign minister and senior adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has rejected recent claims by the United Arab Emirates at the United Nations General Assembly regarding sovereignty over the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa islands. In a post on his X account on Saturday, Velayati said the three islands will remain Iran's forever. "A country whose political life is hardly half a century makes claims from the UN podium about islands that have been recorded under Iran's name in historical documents and maps of past centuries," he said in the Farsi-language post.

Velayati also advised the UAE not to rely on foreign powers for its security and to instead pursue good relations with its neighbors. "The neighbor stays, and the guest goes… from experience one can say that imported security has an expiration date," he added. The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions over the ongoing confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Reports have indicated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret trip to the UAE during this period of increased regional friction. The visit has not been officially confirmed by the UAE or Israel, but it has been widely discussed in regional media. The three islands — Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa — have been a point of contention between Iran and the UAE for decades. Iran has maintained sovereignty over the islands since 1971, while the UAE has repeatedly claimed them. The islands are strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route.

Velayati's comments underscore Iran's firm stance on its territorial integrity and its opposition to external interference in the region. He emphasized that historical documents and maps support Iran's ownership. The former foreign minister's statement is part of Iran's ongoing diplomatic efforts to counter claims by the UAE and to warn against alliances with outside powers, particularly Israel and the United States.

According to Mehr News, Velayati's post reflects Iran's broader policy of promoting regional cooperation and rejecting foreign military presence in the Persian Gulf. The report added that the UAE's claims at the UN were dismissed as baseless by Iranian officials, who view the islands as an integral part of Iran's territory.