AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has reiterated the country’s sovereignty over three Persian Gulf islands, saying those territories have always been and will remain Iranian.
Speaking at a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Majid Takht-Ravanchi reacted to some unsubstantiated accusations raised against Iran’s regional role and attempts to dispute the country’s sovereignty over the trio of the islands.
Earlier at the session, Secretary General of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) Nayef Falah al-Hajraf had urged Iran to respond to the body’s call to resolve the dispute over the islands through negotiations.
“Since the issue related to Iranian islands has been mentioned here, I have to say that Bu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands have always been part of Iran. These islands are Iranian and will remain so,” Takht-Ravanchi said in response.
The strategically-positioned islands of the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Bu Musa have always been part of Iran, the proof of which can be found in and corroborated by countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid baseless claims to the islands.
Referring to Iran’s peaceful role in the Persian Gulf region, the envoy said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has played an incontestable role in ensuring energy security, commercial navigation and stability in the Persian Gulf region and we will continue to contribute to the promotion of peace and security in this sensitive region.”
He also stressed that the Islamic Republic’s defensive requirements, including its missile program, stem from “geostrategic calculations and a significant historical experience.”
Iran, he added, is building up its defense capabilities in a bid to protect itself from the crimes similar to those committed by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-1988 imposed war.
“During Saddam Hossein’s eight-year aggression against Iran that was supported through different means by the US and a number of Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries, our cities were showered by Iraqi missiles and our people [fell] victim to chemical and other lethal weapons provided to Saddam mainly by the West. Simultaneously, unjust sanctions and restrictions deprived us of rudimentary means of self-defense. It is our responsibility now to prevent the recurrence of such appalling situation,” Takht-Ravanchi said.
/129
source : Press TV
Wednesday
21 October 2020
8:44:26 AM
1079846
The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has reiterated the country’s sovereignty over three Persian Gulf islands, saying those territories have always been and will remain Iranian.