Russia angers Iran over disputed Gulf islands, echoing China's stance

Iran on Wednesday (July 12) summoned the Russian ambassador in Tehran to protest a recent statement by Gulf countries and Moscow on three islands controlled by Iran but claimed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

During talks on Monday, foreign ministers from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and Russia called for "a peaceful solution" to the issue of the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands and Abu Musa and Iran and UAE's dispute over them.

They urged a resolution through "bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter".

On Wednesday, Iran's foreign ministry said it summoned Russia's ambassador Alexey Dedov and voiced the Islamic Republic's "objections on the content of the statement".

It further "called for a correction of the Russian Federation's stance on this issue".

The three strategic islands -- located in the Gulf near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of world oil output passes -- have for years been a source of contention between the UAE and Iran.

The islands are a fault-line between Iran and its Gulf neighbours, with Iran regarding any outside intervention in the dispute -- particularly when it appears to undermine the Iranian position -- as a political betrayal.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani on Tuesday said the islands "belong to Iran forever and issuing such statements goes against the friendly relations between Iran and its neighbours".

The Islamic Republic has in recent months stepped up diplomatic moves to reduce its isolation and offset the impact of sanctions.

In March, Iran agreed to restore ties with its regional rival Saudi Arabia under a Chinese-brokered deal. Since then, it has been looking to mend bridges with other countries in the region, including Egypt and Morocco.

Last week, the Islamic Republic became a member of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO), which includes China, Russia and India.

Iran-Russia co-operation

Both isolated pariah states under sanctions, Iran and Russia have increased their co-operation in the past year in multiple areas.

Iran has been supplying Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that Moscow uses in its war on Ukraine, and is building a drone factory in Russia, at the same time as it is using new Chinese parts in the manufacture of the drones.

The United States has denounced Russia's use of Iranian drones in Ukraine, where they have been used to target civilian populations, as as "appalling".

In return for supplying Russia with drones, Iran has sought to acquire large numbers of Russian attack helicopters, warplanes and air defence systems.

The two countries also have signed agreements in the industrial sector, based on which Iran will export automobiles to Russia.

In February, the Iranian automaker Saipa signed a $450 million contract to export 45,000 vehicles to Russia over the next three years, the Russian news agency, TASS, reported.

Iran has relied on Russia heavily amid its international isolation.

During Russian president Vladimir Putin's trip to Iran, Iranian leader Ali Khamenei went so far as to praise Russia's war on Ukraine and described NATO as a "dangerous creature."

Meddling in Iranian affairs

Iran also has relied heavily on China in the past few years, signing a comprehensive 25-year agreement with it for co-operation in various sectors.

But during Chinese president Xi Jinping's trip to Saudi Arabia in December, China issued a joint statement with Gulf states during which the disputed islands were mentioned.

The statement supported a "peaceful solution" for settling the dispute over the three islands between Iran and the UAE.

Tehran protested Beijing's stance, but stopped short of summoning China's ambassador to Iran -- a choice that angered a large number of Iranian social media users.

Iranian media reported on Iranian officials' "dissatisfaction" with their Chinese counterparts "entering [Iran's] political affairs and sovereignty".

"This error is similar to [a scenario in which] we would comment on Taiwan, which is part of Chinese territory, and upset" the Chinese, said Iran's Strategic Council for Foreign Affairs head Kamal Kharrazi, a Khamenei appointee.

Iran has implemented a policy aiming to strengthen ties with the East, which is in direct ideological conflict with the Islamic Republic's guiding principle, which stresses its singularity, observers said.

Under its "Look to the East" policy, Iran has increasingly expanded its relations with eastern countries, chiefly China and Russia, under the pretext of stimulating its near-bankrupt economy and resisting international sanctions.

Khamenei set forth guidelines to implement the"Look to the East" policy, tasking President Ebrahim Raisi with enforcing them.

Despite the Iranian regime's submissive stance towards Russia and China, the two eastern countries have, time and again -- including in the issue of the disputed islands -- proven that Iran is not their priority or preference.