The Foreign Minister of Egypt Amr Mussa during a stopover in Abu Dhabi on his way to Kuwait has told his emirate counterpart Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahyan that Egypt supports the efforts of the emirates to end the Iranian "occupation" of the three islands of Abu Mussa and the Lesser and Bigger Tunbs.

This is not the first time that some Arab official has voiced this kind of utterings regarding the islands in order to placate his UAE counterpart.

The sovereignty of Iran over the islands is undisputable and non negotiable. But irrespective of this, Iran has maintained time and again it is willing to negotiate any misunderstandings that may exist through bilateral discussions.

A customary item on the agenda of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League has always been raising the status of the three islands. The UAE claim has become somewhat stale and such utterings like Amr Mussa's a little tedious. The Emirates and other Arab countries must realize and accept that the sovereignty of these islands have been and will remain Iranian. It will be better for the peace and security of the region if they should refrain from continuing with this ludicrous claim and make all efforts to consolidate their ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.