Army chief sys Iran sensitive to every square inch of its land

July 15, 2023 - 21:8

TEHRAN- The Armed Forces keep voraciously defending every square inch of the Iranian land, the chief commander of the Army has said.

Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi made the comments on Thursday in response to a recent joint statement by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Russia concerning the three Iranian islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf.

In their statement, the GCC and Russia supported a settlement through “bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice.”

In response to the UAE-backed statement, Mousavi stated, “We are very sensitive about every iota of our country’s soil and whatever is said occasionally about the properties of the Islamic Republic.”

In order to defend territorial integrity, he ordered the Army’s land, air, and naval units to stay more alert and attentive.

“We will never neglect for a moment protecting the Islamic Republic’s borders and interests, from the northernmost to the southernmost spot of the sacred land of Iran and will safeguard the country’s territorial integrity with full force,” Mousavi said while speaking at a meeting with a number Army commanders. 

The commander continued by saying that Iran enjoys enormous dignity as a result of national strength rooted in the Armed Forces’ determination and readiness to defend the interests of the Islamic establishment. 

Numerous historical, legal, and topographical records in Iran and elsewhere in the globe attest to the historical Iranian ownership of the three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater, and the Lesser Tunbs.

But the United Arab Emirates has claimed ownership over the islands time and again.

The islands were placed under British rule in 1921, but on November 30, 1971, Iran regained control of the islands a day after British troops departed the region and two days before the UAE was set to become an official federation.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian dismissed the joint GCC-Russia statement in a tweet on Wednesday in Persian, stating that Tehran will not compromise on its position over its territorial integrity.

“We do not pull any punches with any side over the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran,” Amir Abdollahian tweeted.