Iran reaffirms sovereignty over the three Gulf islands

Iran on Monday reaffirmed its supremacy over the three Gulf islands under dispute with the United Arab Emirates and expressed its readiness to start unconditional direct negotiations with Abu Dhabi.

The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hamid Reza Asefi, said in a statement to the Iranian news agency, IRNA, that the three islands "as it has been emphatically reiterated, the three islands are an inseparable part of the iranian territory," and that Iran will be ready for direct and unconditional negotiations with the UAE to eliminate the misunderstanding between the two countries.

Asefi's statements were made in reply to an appeal addressed by the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan, who on Sunday urged Iran to settle the conflict over the three islands "peacefully."