TEHRAN -- Parliament Speaker Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday reaffirmed Iran’s sovereignty over three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf and condemned “meddlesome and baseless” claims by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union.
Ghalibaf’s comments came following a joint GCC-EU statement questioning Iran’s sovereignty over Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb islands. Iran maintains the islands are an inseparable part of its territory, restored to Iranian control in 1971 after British withdrawal.
“The territorial integrity of Iran has been sealed and consolidated with the blood of hundreds of thousands of brave young people of this land,” Ghalibaf said in parliament. “The Iranian nation will not show the slightest leniency over it to any delusional party.”
He also condemned the EU’s “destructive and divisive” interference in Iran’s defense and nuclear programs.
On Tuesday, Iran summoned ambassadors from European states in Tehran to strongly protest the GCC-EU joint statement, which it said contained interventionist and politically charged positions.
Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi reiterated Iran’s “absolute and permanent” sovereignty over the islands, calling the European support for contrary claims a violation of national sovereignty.
Takht-Ravanchi also dismissed allegations targeting Iran’s missile program as “clear interference” in its internal affairs, emphasizing that Iran’s defensive capabilities were essential for national and regional security.
He criticized European envoys for repeating “baseless and stereotypical accusations” about Iran’s nuclear program, urging them to take responsibility for undermining the 2015 nuclear deal. 
Takht-Ravanchi referenced Europe’s suspension of trade with Iran after the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and condemned the EU trio’s triggering of the deal’s “snapback” sanctions mechanism in August, calling it illegitimate given their prior non-compliance.
Ghalibaf also marked the second anniversary of the October 2023 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, describing it as a strategic blow to Israel that disrupted “global arrogance” and plunged the Israeli regime into an “existential crisis.”
He praised resistance groups including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah, and noted the expansion of the resistance movement beyond West Asia, with support spreading across global cities.
“The borders of this geography are no longer limited to Gaza, Sana’a, or Beirut, but now extend to cities such as Sydney, Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, London, Amsterdam, Toronto, and even across American cities and universities,” he said.
Ghalibaf highlighted growing international boycott campaigns against Israel, pointing to the recent Sumud Flotilla as a symbol of this global solidarity with the Palestinian cause.