TEHRAN -- Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei warned regional countries on Wednesday against making baseless claims over Iranian islands, saying hosting the “Butcher of Gaza” would not bring favorable consequences.
In an Arabic-language post on his X account, Rezaei said, “Just as hosting US military bases has not brought you security, hosting the ‘Butcher of Gaza’ will also not have favorable consequences”.
He added, “Learn from the last war, stop igniting wars, and cease issuing baseless claims regarding the Iranian islands”.
The warning followed repeated claims by the UAE representative at the United Nations General Assembly regarding the Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb.
Nasser Asadi, Iran’s representative at the UN General Assembly, responded by emphasizing Iran’s decisive and complete sovereignty over the islands, stating they “have always been, are, and will be an inseparable part of Iran’s territory, and Iran’s sovereignty over them is not negotiable”.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi also rejected the claims on X, saying “the repetition of baseless claims about the Iranian islands, even from the podium of the General Assembly, does not change reality.”
He urged Emirati officials to “adhere to the requirements of good neighborliness and the historical and legal realities of the region”.
Iran’s sovereignty over the three islands predates the formation of
the UAE. Historical documents, including British naval maps and records from the Qajar, Afsharid, Zand, and Safavid eras, affirm Iranian ownership.
The islands were temporarily occupied by British colonial forces in the 19th century before being returned to Iran on December 9, 1971, the same day British treaty arrangements with Persian Gulf sheikhdoms expired. The UAE was formally established two days later, on December 2, 1971.
The islands hold strategic significance as they overlook the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-third of global oil passes.
The UAE has repeatedly called for direct negotiations or referral to the International Court of Justice, while Tehran has consistently rejected both options, insisting the islands are an inseparable part of Iranian territory not subject to international arbitration.
The remarks also came amid reports of terrorist Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Abu Dhabi.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned his “provocative presence” in the region, warning of “extremely dangerous consequences” and calling on regional governments to prevent their territories from becoming “a platform for destabilizing actions against other countries”.
The Foreign Ministry issued the statement in response to reports of Netanyahu’s presence in the UAE at the official invitation of Emirati ruler Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
It strongly condemned the “child-killing and war-mongering prime minister of the Israeli regime’s provocative presence” in the region and warned of the “extremely dangerous consequences.”
The ministry noted that “regional security is a collective and indivisible matter,” warning that facilitating the entry of destabilizing actors could lead to “greater division, insecurity, and instability in West Asia.”
It called on regional governments to “refrain from facilitating the Israeli regime’s destabilizing presence” and to prevent their territories from becoming “a platform for destabilizing actions against other countries in the region.”
According to Israeli media reports and a senior Israeli official’s statement to Reuters, Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi on Sunday, holding closed-door meetings with Al Nahyan for most of the day, and returned later that evening.
Netanyahu had also secretly traveled to the UAE on March 26 and met with Al Nahyan, Reuters said.