Abu Dhabi: The UAE Federal National Council and Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs have condemned the planned inspection visit by members of the Iranian Shura Council’s committee on National and Foreign Policy to the three UAE Islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Mousa occupied by Iran since 1971.

The FNC said in a statement released on Tuesday that the “visit is a flagrant violation to the UAE sovereignty over its territories, and a setback to all efforts made by the UAE to put an end to the occupation of the three UAE islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Mousa through direct negotiations or resorting to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).”

It said the visit is contrary to an agreement between the two countries to avoid escalating the issue, so that an atmosphere conducive to reaching a settlement is created.

The Bahraini statement re-affirmed the approach followed by the GCC in its relations with Iran, based on good neighbourliness, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, and to renouncing the use of force or threats in order to resolve differences by peaceful means and take into account common interests, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported yesterday.

The ministry said the visit is a violation of the sovereignty of the UAE and a provocative act that is a source of great concern.

The statement added that the Kingdom of Bahrain reiterates its full support to the UAE over its sovereignty over the three islands, based on the principle of the collective security of the GCC.

It calls on Iran to refrain from such steps.

In Cairo, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, the highest authority in Sunni Islamic thought and Islamic jurisprudence, told Iranian President Ahmadinejad, who visited Al Azhar on Tuesday, that he fully rejected Iranian intervention into the Gulf affairs, especially those of Bahrain.

Al Azhar Imam also rejected Tehran’s attempts to spread Shiite Islam in mainly Sunni Arab countries, calling on Ahmadinejad to give Sunnis in Iran their full freedoms.

Dr Abdul Rahim Al Shaheen, associate professor of political science at the UAE University, slammed the provocative visit to the UAE territory, and called on Iran to cease such provocative steps and adopt peaceful approaches that could build confidence and help reach a just settlement over the occupied islands.

Dr Al Shaheen said the UAE’s rights to Iran-occupied Abu Mousa, near the mouth of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, along with Greater and Lesser Tunbs, will be retained, no matter what Iranians do.

He reiterated the Iranian Shura Council members “planned, infamous” visit to occupied islands can never change the fact that it is a UAE island.

“The three islands of Abu Mousa, Greater and Lesser Tunb are Emirati — this is a fact that cannot be challenged,” he said, and challenged Tehran to accept international arbitration.