Russian Ambassador summoned to Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran

Russian Ambassador to Iran, Alexey Dedov, has been summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry following the release of a joint statement regarding the strategic dialogue between Russia and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf concerning the trio of islands in the Persian Gulf, as reported by Mehr news agency.

The Russian diplomat was informed of Tehran's dissatisfaction regarding the content of the statement about the islands that belong to Iran. The Director General for Persian Gulf Affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Alireza Enayati, emphasized during the meeting with the Russian ambassador that the islands belong to Iran and called on Russia to rectify its position on this matter.

The ambassador, in turn, stated that they respect Iran's territorial integrity and noted that he would convey the issue to Moscow as soon as possible. The sixth ministerial meeting for strategic dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Russian Federation took place on July 10 in Moscow.

In the statement, the ministers raised the issue of reaching a peaceful resolution regarding the islands that belong to Iran. The day before, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani stated that Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa forever belong to Iran, adding that such statements are contrary to the spirit of friendly relations between Tehran and its neighbors.