The United Arab Emirates on Monday blasted a visit by Iranian officials to contested Gulf islands in the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf islands – Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb – lie along the approach to the Strait of Hormuz. Their status has been disputed since 1971, Iran has recently escalated its claims to them, and the UAE is not pleased:

“The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns and categorically rejects a visit by an Iranian parliament delegation to the islands,” the UAE state news agency WAM said. “This visit flagrantly infringes on the sovereignty of the UAE and undermines all exerted efforts towards finding a peaceful resolution for this issue,” it said.

The three islands have been in dispute for decades, with both countries laying claim to them. The international consensus on the issue is straightforward – last fall the U.N. General Assembly declared that Iran was violating international law through its “occuption” of the islands – but Iran has continued to press its claims to the territory.

This is not the first time that the islands’ status has generated tension. Last fall Iran’s Foreign Ministry threatened to downgrade ties with the UAE over the two countries’ competing claims.

The moves have heightened Arab concerns over the immunity that Tehran would gain to press these and other claims should it acquire nuclear weapons. Iran’s neighbors have been at the forefront of urging action against the program. In July 2010, the UAE’s ambassador to the United States publicly made the case that the benefits of bombing Iran’s nuclear installations outweighed the costs, years after Saudi Arabia had already privately urged U.S. officials to launch attacks.

[Photo: Conscious / Wiki Commons]