Arab League / UAE's three islands / decision. Cairo, March 10 / WAM / The Council of the Arab League renewed its absolute affirmation of the full sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands: Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, and its support for all peaceful measures and means taken by the state to restore its sovereignty over its occupied islands.

In its decision issued last night at the conclusion of its 141st session at the ministerial level, the Council condemned the continued Iranian government's perpetuation of its occupation of the three islands and violation of the state's sovereignty, which undermines security and stability in the region and threatens international peace and security. It also denounced the Iranian government's construction of residential facilities to settle Iranians on the three occupied UAE islands.

It also condemned Iranian military maneuvers that include the UAE islands, territorial waters, airspace, continental shelf, and exclusive economic zone of the three islands as an integral part of the UAE, and called on Iran to cease these violations and provocative acts that constitute interference in the internal affairs of an independent sovereign state, do not help build trust, threaten security and stability in the region, and endanger the safety and security of regional and international navigation in the Arabian Gulf.

It also condemned Iran's opening of two offices on Abu Musa island, which belongs to the United Arab Emirates, demanding that Iran remove these illegal facilities and respect the UAE's sovereignty over its territories.

The Council expressed its disapproval and condemnation of the inspection tour that members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Shura Council announced they intended to conduct to the occupied UAE islands, noting that this does not align with the efforts and attempts being made to find a peaceful settlement, and calling on Iran to refrain from taking such provocative steps.

The Council praised the initiatives of the United Arab Emirates in seeking a peaceful and just settlement to resolve the issue of the three occupied islands with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Council again called on the Iranian government to end its occupation of the three islands, cease imposing a fait accompli by force, stop constructing any facilities there aimed at changing their population and demographic composition, annul all measures, and remove all facilities previously implemented unilaterally by Iran on the three UAE islands, considering that these measures and claims are null and void and have no legal effect, and do not diminish the UAE's established right to its three islands, and that they are acts contrary to the provisions of international law and the Geneva Convention of 1949, demanding that Iran follow peaceful means to resolve the existing dispute in accordance with the principles and rules of international law, including accepting referral of the case to the International Court of Justice.

The Council expressed its hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran would reconsider its position rejecting a peaceful solution to the issue of the three occupied islands of the United Arab Emirates, either through serious and direct negotiations or by resorting to the International Court of Justice.

It demanded that Iran translate its declared desire to improve relations with Arab states and reduce tension into practical and tangible steps, in word and deed, by sincerely responding to the earnest and sincere calls issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State (may God protect him), the Gulf Cooperation Council states, Arab and friendly states, and the UN Secretary-General to resolve the dispute over the three islands through peaceful means and in accordance with international norms and rules of international law, either through serious direct negotiations or by resorting to the International Court of Justice, in order to build trust and enhance security and stability in the Arabian Gulf region.

The Council called on Arab states to commit, in their communications with Iran, to raise the issue of its occupation of the three islands, emphasizing the need to end it on the basis that the three islands are occupied Arab territories. It also called for informing the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council of the importance of keeping the issue among the matters before the Security Council until Iran ends its occupation of the three Arab islands and the United Arab Emirates restores its full sovereignty over them. It requested the Secretary-General of the Arab League to follow up on the matter and submit a report to the Council at its next regular session.

WAM/ Qr/ Kha

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