Rapid Fire
The Greater Tunb, The Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa Island
- 13 Jun 2024
- 1 min read
Recently, Iran called in China's ambassador to lodge a protest over a joint statement made by China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the sovereignty of the Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb islands.
- These are small disputed islands between Iran and UAE, located at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
- Iran claims that the islands were historically part of Persian territories until they were occupied by the British in the early 20th century.
- After British forces withdrew in 1971, Iran took control of the three islands, considering them an integral part of its territory.
- According to the UAE, the islands belonged to the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah until Iran allegedly seized them by force just days before the formation of the Emirati Federation in 1971 before UAE’s independence from Britain.
