Gaza: Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-e Ravanchi has summoned ambassadors of European Union countries to Tehran to protest what he described as the bloc’s interfering stance in the Persian Gulf region’s affairs and the allegations leveled against Iran.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the ambassadors were summoned a day after foreign ministers and senior officials from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union (EU) held their 29th Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting in Kuwait. In their final statement, the participants reiterated the United Arab Emirates’ territorial claims over the three Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Lesser Tunb, and Greater Tunb.

The statement also emphasized the importance of ensuring the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program and accused Iran of regional escalation through its ballistic missile and drone programs, as per the text published on the council’s website.

During his meeting with the summoned ambassadors, Takht-e Ravanchi reaffirmed Iran’s indisputable and perpetual sovereignty over the islands of Abu Musa, Lesser Tunb, and Greater Tunb, calling them inseparable parts of the country.

He criticized the EU’s support for the UAE’s claims over the islands, stating it violated principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and condemned the bloc’s politicized stance.

Addressing allegations regarding Iran’s missile program, Takht-e Ravanchi dismissed them as interference in Iran’s internal affairs, rejecting what he described as false and exaggerated narratives. He stressed that Iran’s indigenous defense capabilities, including its missile program, are an inherent right to self-defense and contribute to regional security and stability.

The deputy foreign minister also referred to a recent move by Britain, France, and Germany-collectively known as the E3-to reinstate UN Security Council sanctions against Iran under the snapback mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He accused the EU, as coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission, of failing to uphold commitments and misusing the dispute resolution mechanism outlined in the agreement, thereby obstructing diplomacy. Takht-e Ravanchi asserted that they should be accountable for their performance instead of repeating what he called clich©d and false allegations.