Ismail Baqaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday rejected the “false allegations” contained in the joint statement, emphasizing that “Iranian sovereignty over Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa islands is absolute and indisputable.”

The spokesperson added that “these islands have been and will remain an integral part of the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” stressing that “repeating false claims in political statements does not change the geographical, historical, and legal facts.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also rejected the interventionist positions in the statement, affirming that Tehran “within the exercise of its sovereign rights, will take all necessary measures to ensure security and safety on these Iranian islands and protect its interests within its jurisdiction.”

Baqaei added: “We expected the GCC to stop repeating these baseless claims and not to allow external parties, such as the UK, whose policies and presence in the region have proven to be a cause of instability, to intervene.”

He called on the council to enhance regional cooperation and dedicate efforts towards building mutual understanding and trust among the countries of the region, instead of enabling external players to destabilize the region.