Iranian FM visit concludes without progress in island dispute

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi concluded today his visit to the United Arab Emirates by meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hamad Bin Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nayhan who said that the two sides have agreed on continued effort to solve the issue of the three contested Gulf islands and improving bilateral relations.

Hamad Bin Zayed added that during the meeting they confirmed bilateral relations and called for regional security and stability, confirming that there will be no development without them. He stated that the countries of the region have to understand that stability and security are the bases for development.

Iran has occupied the three Gulf islands Greater Tanb, Lesser Tanb and Abu Mousa since 1971, after the withdrawal of British forces. The UAE has called on more than one occasion for presenting the subject of the islands' sovereignty to the International Court of Justice, but Iran has refused.

The two countries launched negotiations about the islands in the year 1995 in Qatar, but those talks have so far been unsuccessful.