Iran's foreign ministry summoned the Russian envoy to Tehran over Moscow's support for the United Arab Emirates' claim over three Persian Gulf islands.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Iranian foreign ministry said Tehran protested Russia's challenging of Iran’s ownership of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa islands in the Persian Gulf asking Russia to correct its position on the issue.

In a joint Russia-GCC statement at the sixth joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Russian Federation, held in Moscow on Monday, ministers affirmed their support for the United Arab Emirates which, like Iran, claims sovereignty over the islands.

The statement called for "bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter, to resolve this issue in accordance with international legitimacy".

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani, on Tuesday rejected the claims, saying the islands “eternally belong to Iran and such statements are inconsistent with Iran’s friendly relations with its neighbors,” referring to the detente between Iran and its neighbors the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be corroborated by historical and geographical documents. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands, describing the situation as “the continued occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”