UNITED NATIONS// The Arab Interim Parliament yesterday called on Iran to enter into direct negotiations with the UAE to find a peaceful way to resolve the "dispute" over the occupation of Abu Musa and other islands, and has asked Arab countries to "exert more pressure on Iran to stop its occupation", reported WAM, the government news agency. The move comes as Iran rejected Government complaints about the construction of marine offices on Abu Musa island and asserted its own claims over the disputed territory in a letter to the UN Security Council.
Last month, the UAE wrote to the 15-member world power body saying Iran's decision to build two marine offices on Abu Musa contravened a 37-year-old agreement between the two governments. Iran's ambassador to the UN, Mohammad Khazee, has responded with a letter circulated to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, and members of the Security Council. "The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, while stressing its respect for brotherly and good neighbourly relations between the two countries, acknowledges that all actions and measures taken in the Iranian island of Abu Musa are in accordance with the sovereign rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran and with the ongoing arrangements emanating from the documents exchanged in 1971," the letter said.
WAM yesterday reported that the transitional Arab Parliament had condemned Iran's "flagrant" occupation of Abu Musa and two nearby islands, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, In a statement issued at the end of the Arab nations parliament's second meeting, the lawmakers condemned Iran's building of marine offices on Abu Musa and called for the buildings to be closed immediately. The parliament said Iran should negotiate with the UAE to a definite timetable or refer the case to the International Court of Justice, reported WAM.
Michel Kafando, the UN envoy for Burkina Faso, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month, said the body would not discuss the dispute between the UAE and the Islamic republic. "This is not something which is on the agenda; so that issue was not raised. Unless it comes up at a later point, for the time being, the Security Council does not have that on its agenda," he said.
The Security Council's role involves investigating and addressing threats to international peace. The council receives several documents each month, although many only serve to provide updates about long-standing issues. An Emirati diplomat lodged the original letter of protest with Mr Ban on Aug 21. It did not call for specific Security Council action. The Arab League has voiced support for the UAE Government, and last week the GCC condemned the building of the offices by Iran during a meeting of foreign ministers in Jeddah.
But the issue has garnered little interest from other members of the international community, with the powerful, veto-wielding members of the Security Council proving unwilling to address the dispute. A spokesman for the US mission described the dispute as "a bilateral issue", while a diplomat in the Russian mission said it was "premature to comment" on the Kremlin's position. The dispute dates back to 1971 when Britain withdrew from the region and the three islands were occupied by Iran. The UAE claims sovereignty over the islands on the grounds that they belonged to Ras al Khaimah and Sharjah, while Tehran offers competing claims on historical grounds.
A book by Thomas Mattair, The Three Occupied UAE Islands: The Tunbs and Abu Musa, argues that the Government has an overwhelming case of ownership under international law. Tehran's decision to build a marine rescue centre and a registration office on Abu Musa, and the subsequent backlash from across the Gulf, comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the Arab world. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Manouchehr Mohammadi, was last month quoted as describing Gulf monarchies as suffering a "crisis of legitimacy".
Two weeks ago, Tehran accused UAE airport officials of "creating unusual problems for Iranians." Gregory Gause, a professor of political science at the University of Vermont, described the long-running island dispute as a "barometer of Iranian-Gulf relations". @Email:jreinl@thenational.ae
