Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, responded to remarks by Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, regarding Abu Dhabi’s position on Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. He reiterated the UAE’s call to resolve the dispute through direct negotiations or the International Court of Justice.

Gargash wrote on X on Sunday that Velayati’s criticism of the UAE’s statement at the United Nations on the three islands was “a political position” that, he said, contradicted the facts and documents cited by the UAE in support of its claimed rights.

“Our approach is clear and consistent: the peaceful resolution of this dispute through direct bilateral negotiations or recourse to the International Court of Justice,” he added. Gargash also said the UAE would continue to pursue what it considers its “legitimate rights” to achieve a peaceful solution in accordance with international law.

photo_2026-10-04_15-55-46 The remarks came after Velayati rejected Abu Dhabi’s claim to the three islands in response to the UAE’s recent position at the UN General Assembly, stressing that Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa belong to Iran and will remain Iranian.