Iran condemns Canada, UAE for reiterating territorial claims over three Persian Gulf Islands

TEHRAN– Iran has strongly condemned Canada and the United Arab Emirates for reiterating territorial claims over Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb, reaffirming that the three islands are inseparable and eternal parts of Iranian territory. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Thursday denounced the UAE’s “brazen and interventionist” claims and Canada’s decision to endorse them in a joint statement issued following a meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Ottawa.

Baqaei stressed that the islands’ established geographical, historical and legal status could not be altered by political statements or the repetition of 'baseless territorial claims.' “The islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb are inseparable and eternal parts of Iran’s territorial domain, and the repetition of baseless and unfounded claims about them will not change the established geographical, historical and legal realities,” he said.

Tehran denounces Ottawa’s intervention The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman particularly criticized Canada's decision to endorse the UAE's position, describing Ottawa's move as short-sighted and contrary to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. He said Canada's involvement in the territorial dispute was especially objectionable given that the country itself faces territorial assertions by the US administration.

Baqaei stressed that endorsing another country's territorial claims against Iran carries international responsibility for the Canadian government. He also called on Abu Dhabi to respect the principles of good-neighborliness rather than repeatedly raising territorial claims against a major neighboring country, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and respect for national sovereignty in relations between regional states. Canada's position is not new.

Ottawa had previously endorsed the UAE's claim in a joint statement issued during Carney's visit to the Emirates in November 2025, in which the two countries likewise called for an end to what they described as the occupation of the three islands. The latest statement, however, comes as Canada and the UAE move to elevate their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, expanding cooperation in trade, investment, energy, defence and security, advanced technology and diplomacy.

Iran has consistently maintained that Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb are integral parts of its national territory and rejects any foreign government's endorsement of competing claims over them. Tehran has also repeatedly stressed that relations with neighboring countries should be founded on mutual respect, respect for territorial integrity and the principles of good-neighborliness, rather than political alignments with extra-regional powers.