TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has condemned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s support for the United Arab Emirates’ claim to three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf, describing Ottawa’s position as a blatant contradiction and a violation of the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

This is the second statement by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson condemning Canada’s move to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs.

On October 29, Baqaei also issued a statement condemning Ottawa’s interference, albeit in different terms.

In a post on X early Saturday, Baqaei rejected Canada’s backing of the UAE’s unfounded claim to the Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb.
“The UAE was established in 1971. Yet, despite the overwhelming historical record, geographical facts, and documented evidence concerning Abu Musa and the Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, it lays claim to these IRANIAN islands whose history of being part of IRAN stretches back many millennia before the establishment of the federation itself,” he wrote.

Baqaei said Canada, more than most countries, should understand the importance of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, given its own historical experience.

He cited the US invasion of Canada during the War of 1812, the Montreal Annexation Manifesto of 1849, and, more recently, US President Donald Trump’s remarks about making Canada the “51st state” of the United States.

Against that backdrop, the Iranian spokesman questioned the consistency of Ottawa’s position, asking whether respect for territorial integrity and historical and legal facts was a fundamental principle for Canada or one it upheld only when its own sovereignty was at stake.

He described Canada’s support for the UAE position as deeply contradictory, arguing that a country that has defended its territorial integrity for centuries should not endorse an 'unfounded territorial claim' against another nation.

Such a stance, Baqaei warned, amounted to “sawing off the very branch on which it sits.”