Iran regrets Arab League statements over Gulf islands

Iran has expressed regret over the recent statement released by the Arab League which criticized Iranian military maneuvers underway in the waters of the Arab Gulf and its assertion of control and sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates on the three islands of Greater Tanb, Lesser Tanb and Abu Mousa.

Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Hamid Rida Asify said the objective of the Iranian maneuvers is just to keep up with the readiness of the Iranian forces in defending the sovereignty of Iran and its territorial integrity.

He stressed that these Iranian maneuvers are not targeting any country and do not constitute any danger for the security of the Gulf region. Asify added that Iran's defense force constitutes a guarantee to the security and stability of the region and all countries overlooking the Gulf.

The Iranian spokesman stressed Iran's control of the three islands. He added that his country had announced repeatedly its readiness to hold talks with the UAE in order to eliminate the misunderstanding on the grounds of a 1971 agreement signed between the two countries.

The Iranian spokesman expressed regret, saying the Arab League had resorted to a provocative way of dealing with this issue instead of encouraging the UAE to maintain dialogue with Iran.