Iranian Parliament strongly rejects the contents of the Russia-PGCC joint statement over Iran's trio islands, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Iran's interactions with all legitimate governments are based on national interests and in compliance with the three principles of honor, expediency, and wisdom, he said.
He also termed Iran and Russia, as two important countries in the region, that are designing and promoting cooperation in various fields based on common interests.
However, Russia must know that Iran's cooperation with neighbors depends on respecting the red lines of the Iranian people, including the territorial integrity and sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater, and Lesser Tunbs, he reminded.
"The territorial integrity of Iran has been preserved with the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of Iranian martyrs and we will not compromise with any side in this matter," Ghalibaf noted.
Saying that Russia itself is the victim of the West and NATO's geopolitical expansionism, he added that it should not help the West to destabilize the Persian Gulf region.
Iran is the only guarantor of stability in the Persian Gulf and neutralizes the dangerous plans of the West in this sensitive region, he stressed.
The three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found and corroborated by countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts of the world.
However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands.
The islands fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Iran’s sovereignty over the islands was restored.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian rejected the Russia-PGCC joint statement, saying Tehran will not soften its stance over its territorial integrity.
“We do not pull any punches with any side over the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Iran,” Amir-Abdollahian tweeted.
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