Iran summons Russia's ambassador over UAE islands dispute

Adam Lucente

Jul 12, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand on September 15, 2022. (Photo by Alexandr Demyanchuk / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) — Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' summit in Samarkand on Sept. 15, 2022. — ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

Iran on Wednesday summoned Russia's ambassador in Tehran, Alexey Dedov, after a statement Moscow made in favor of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and against Iran's claim to the contested three islands.

On Monday, Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a statement calling for a “a peaceful solution” to the dispute over the Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands “in accordance with international law." The statement followed a daylong meeting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hosted in Moscow. Iran then summoned the ambassador to voice its “objections on the content of the statement,” Agence France-Presse reported.

The dispute over the Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands dates back decades. Iran seized control of the islands on Nov. 30, 1971 — just two days before the UAE became a country. The UAE claims sovereignty over the islands, but Iran still administers them and has repeatedly defended its claim.

Separately, Kuwait returned 11 prisoners to Iran late on Tuesday, a move that follows the resumption of relations between the two countries but also comes amid a lingering gas dispute.