News in Brief
Iran reaffirms sovereignty over Persian Gulf islands
PRESS TV – Tehran rejected anti-Iran claims raised by foreign ministers of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union, reaffirming full sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Wednesday emphasized the country’s principled and permanent position on the trio of islands, saying they are “an integral and eternal part of the soil of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
The remarks came after the 27th GCC-EU Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting, which was held in the Omani capital Muscat on October 9–10, suggested in a final statement that the council is concerned about a lack of progress toward resolving the dispute between the UAE and Iran over the three islands.
Coast guards stage naval drill in southern waters
IRNA – The Iranian Coast Guard launched a large-scale military exercise, dubbed “Mohammad Rasulullah-2,” on Wednesday along the shores of the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean.
The drill involved naval units from the country’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan as well as the southern provinces of Bushehr and Hormuzgan.
Commander of the Iranian Border Guards Brigadier General Ahmad Ali Goudarzi said the exercise also aims to comply with bilateral or multilateral treaties with the neighboring countries, share valuable experiences, and strengthen cooperation and coordination among coast guards.
He pointed out that dozens of marine units, coastal patrol teams, and various border guard forces participated in the drill.