Iran Summons Russian Envoy Over Disputed Islands

Tensions Rise as Russia and Arab Nations Support UAE's Claim to Islands in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has summoned the Russian envoy to Tehran for the second time this year over a joint statement with Arab nations calling for negotiations over three disputed islands in the Strait of Hormuz.
The islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, have been governed by Iran since 1971, but the United Arab Emirates also claims them as part of its territory.
Russia and China, both allies of Iran, have recently shown increasing support for the UAE's claim to the islands.
The joint statement, signed during the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Morocco, supports peaceful solutions and initiatives to resolve the conflict through bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice.
Iranian lawmakers have reacted strongly to the statement, with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning that any threats to Iran's territorial integrity will be met with a 'serious response'.