Claims of Iran to islands in Persian Gulf

This file concerns debates around a political settlement for the Abu Musa and Tunb Islands, which are controlled by Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah respectively but claimed by Iran. It contains correspondence relating to:

• The visits of the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah Sheikh Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi and the Ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi to Tehran and meetings with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Iranian officials concerning a settlement for the islands
• The visit of Iranian emissaries to Ras Al Khaimah
• Debates around agreeing to the presence of Iranian garrisons on the island before the British withdrawal from the region
• The political implications in the Arab world of the potential Iranian occupation of the islands
• The future of the lighthouse on Greater Tunb which is operated by Middle East Navigational Aids Services (MENAS)
• Historical correspondence supplied by HMG in response to requests from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah for documentation in support of their claims to the islands
• The question of the median line of maritime sovereignty between Iran and Ras Al Khaimah
• A letter apparently signed by the Sheikh Khalid of Sharjah inviting Iran to garrison Abu Musa, of which Sheikh Khalid denies knowledge
• Uncertainty around Occidental Petroleum’s offshore oil concession in Sharjah
• The wider situation in the Gulf, including Iran’s claim to Bahrain and movement towards implementing the Union of Arab Emirates
• Iranian press comment concerning the islands
• Discussions between the Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart and the Iranian Ambassador to the UK Amir Khosrow Afshar concerning the islands
• The question of an Iranian occupation without stated sovereignty over the islands.