WANA (Oct 17) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, responded to a joint statement made by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) during their summit in Brussels. He reiterated Iran’s firm stance on the sovereignty of the three disputed islands—Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa—stating that they “have always belonged to Iran and will remain so forever.”

 

Araghchi, addressing the issue on the social media platform X, criticized the joint statement issued at the EU-GCC summit in Brussels. He stated, “The part of the statement concerning Iran holds significant messages. We proposed a path of cooperation based on mutual respect during various meetings, including in New York. However, Europe has responded with confrontation, imposing sanctions on passenger flights and making baseless accusations of ‘occupation’ against Iran.”

 

The senior diplomat condemned the EU’s continued efforts to stir division in the region, describing the era of the malicious European policy of “divide and rule” as long over.

 

The GCC-EU statement, issued on Wednesday, emphasized concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and missile developments, calling for de-escalation in the region. It also urged Iran to halt activities perceived as destabilizing to both regional and international security.

 

The statement expressed a shared commitment to ensuring that the Persian Gulf remains free from nuclear weapons and called on Iran to fully comply with its international obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

 

The joint declaration further reiterated support for diplomacy but regretted that Iran’s nuclear advancements over the past five years have made a return to the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) increasingly difficult.

 

However, the most contentious part of the statement was the call for Iran to end its “occupation” of the three disputed islands claimed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which the statement described as a violation of UAE sovereignty and international law.

 

Araghchi’s response underscored Iran’s firm stance on its territorial integrity, asserting that the three islands will remain an inseparable part of Iran’s territory, rejecting any external claims or interference.