Abstract
Abu
Musa Island is one of the three Islands that are occupied by the Iranian
military. The UAE is still trying to persuade Iran to return the three islands
through peaceful negotiations to keep the region secure and safe. Iran has
refused to cooperate with the UAE or with the GCC countries, stating that the
three Islands are the sovereignty of Iran. The dispute is still unresolved
because both Iran and the UAE still lay claim to Abu Musa. The UAE did agree to
allow Iran to maintain troops on the Island and to share in half of the oil
revenue in November 1971; however, this situation changed when Iran pushed the
civilians out of the island. The UAE will probably reaffirm its claim on Abu
Musa at some point in the future. Experts warn that the tensions over Abu Musa
between the two countries could make the situation more serious. They have
repeatedly recommended that this issue be taken to the International Court of
Justice in The Hague to prevent war in the future.
Searching
For a Peaceful Solution
There
are many political conflicts in the Middle East. These conflicts could reflect
on the regional security, which is important for all Arab countries. A major
ongoing Middle East conflict is the dispute between the UAE and Iran over Abu
Musa Island. Currently this island is controlled by Iran. Indeed Iran does not
show interest in solving the conflict by bilateral negotiations to prevent
serious war in the region.
The
Current Situation
The
dispute over Abu Musa became a relatively dormant issue following the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Iran. The UAE has been
careful to maintain some contacts with Iran because of the large number of
Iranian expatriates in the UAE and because of Iran’s proximity. In an effort
to keep relations peaceful, the UAE has urged Iran many times to agree to take
the dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. As long as the
dispute is still unresolved and war is an option, not only are the animals
threatened, but also the oil production and shipping in the area. In addition
the chance of environmental damage is always present with oil production,
specially if the dispute is still unresolved. This damage could affect the
surrounding marine life and animal species (American edu, 2001).
The two
countries have recognized the value of the island for economic, security and
environmental reasons (American edu, 2001). The UAE and Iran have achieved an
agreement stating that they could share the income from the oil fields equally,
but Iran ignored the agreement when the Iranian parliament passed a law
increasing the limits of the country’s territorial waters to 12 miles in April
1993. The parliament also reasserted Iran’s claims to the Island; this could
be explained by the fact that there have been reports of large oil deposits
under Abu Musa Island. Because Abu Musa Island lies at the mouth of the narrow
Strait of Hormuz, the security of the region is unstable, affecting the shipping
oil to and from Iran and other regional countries including the UAE. About 15
million barrels per day pass through the Strait of Hormuz, so it is really
important to look after the security in the region.
Historical
background
In
1903-1904, the British government instructed the Sheikh of Sharjah to raise his
flag on Abu Musa Island. To justify this action, the British government came to
hold the view that the Island had not been a part of any country’s territory.
In January 1968, Britain announced that it would withdraw all of its forces from
east of Suez by the end of 1971. At that time, Sharjah controlled Abu Musa.
However, Iran was very interested in the Island and by the end of November 1971,
the conflict over the Island became very tense. On November 29, Iran and Sharjah
signed an agreement to give Sharjah sovereignty over Abu Musa and for Iran to
station military forces on the Island, but Iran took full control of the two
nearby Tunb Islands and that made the situation very critical (Hooshang
amirahmadi, 1996).
The
Peaceful Effort
Iran
denied the UAE’s calls to solve the dispute through the International Court in
The Hague. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed AlNahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown
Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has repeated his
determination for a peaceful solution of the issue of three islands occupied by
Iran. He states that resolving the conflict would help in finding a good
atmosphere for regional cooperation, which will positively reflect on the
region’s security, stability and prosperity (Gulf News, November 03, 2000).
The UAE issued honest calls to Iran to convene with tripartite committee, which
is setup by the GCC, to find a mechanism for direct negotiations between the two
countries. But Iran still ignores this call until now (Gulf News, November
14,2000). The two countries need to reach an agreement or resolve the conflict
by bilateral negotiations so that they can avoid war in the future.
Conclusion
There
is no doubt that a peaceful resolution to the dispute between the UAE and Iran
is important for all Arab countries to keep the region safe and secure. Taking
the dispute to the International Court of Justice might be the only way to solve
this problem fairly and peacefully. Unfortunately Iranians are still ignoring
the international efforts.
References
