Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says the allegations made against the Islamic Republic by (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) are baseless, Press TV reported.
Mehmanparast made the remarks on Monday, Mehr News Agency reported.
"Making baseless allegations cannot make a change in the existing realities, and regional countries had better adopt positive and constructive approaches towards the Islamic Republic of Iran... This is in the interest of the regional nations," Salehi said.
On Sunday, Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa questioned Iran's sovereignty over the three islands in his opening statement at the (P)GCC ministerial meeting in Riyadh, saying, "Iran still intervenes in the (P)GCC's internal affairs."
In a statement issued by the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Majlis (parliament) on February 19, the Iranian MPs said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always pursued the policy of friendship and good neighborliness with all its neighboring states and welcomes bilateral talks with the UAE government to explore ways to expand relations and resolve the current misunderstandings."
The islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa 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 temporarily fell under British control in the 1800s but were returned to Iran on November 30, 1971 through a legal procedure that preceded the establishment of the UAE as an independent state.