UAE sovereignty over Arabian Gulf islands reasserted

The Council of the Arab League has reiterated its support for UAE sovereignty over the Arabian Gulf islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa. Referring to Iran’s ongoing occupation of the islands, the Council said it supported the nation’s actions to regain sovereignty over them, during the 143rd meeting of the Arab Foreign Ministers, held at the Arab League General Secretariat in Cairo, the state news agency Wam reported.

In a statement regarding Iran’s occupation of the islands, the Council condemned the Iranian occupation and for “violating the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates, thereby undermining security and stability in the region and leading to threatening international peace and security,” the government said.

The Council condemned Iranian military exercises in the areas including the UAE’s islands, territorial waters, airspace, and its continental shelf, and its broader exclusive economic zone.

A solution to the dispute will “build confidence and enhance security and stability in the Gulf region,” the government said.