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The briefing focused on Iran’s response to statements from some Arab and European countries and a Persian Gulf Cooperation Council declaration that Tehran considers unfounded. According to Nasrollah Pejmanfar, who heads the parliamentary Article 90 Commission, Abbas Araqchi detailed the Foreign Ministry’s work to compile historical, legal and documentary evidence affirming Iranian control over the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb. Pejmanfar told reporters that the collected materials would support a full legal defense presented in international forums, with corresponding reports submitted to parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission as well as the Article 90 panel.
Pejmanfar stressed that the three islands constitute an inseparable part of Iranian territory, a position echoed in subsequent statements by other Iranian officials. IRNA reports have consistently placed the islands under Iranian administration since 1971, one day before the formation of the United Arab Emirates, citing extensive historical maps and documents. The islands lie near the Strait of Hormuz and form part of Hormozgan province, where Iranian authorities maintain population centers and infrastructure.
The session also examined the Zangezur corridor in the South Caucasus. Pejmanfar said the discussion underlined Iran’s shared border with Armenia and the potential for increased economic activity and trade with countries in the region. Lawmakers explored how improved connectivity could enhance commercial exchanges and reinforce relations with neighboring states in the South Caucasus.
Challenges surrounding foreign nationals residing in Iran received attention during the meeting. The lawmaker indicated that officials reviewed distinctions between temporary laborers, longer-term residents and procedures for citizenship applications by specific groups. Araqchi participated in consultations on these matters, according to Pejmanfar, as authorities seek to manage related issues more effectively.
Araqchi provided an assessment of Iran’s expanding relations with China and Russia. Pejmanfar reported that both countries have shown firm support and commitment toward Iran despite interference attempts by European and American actors. The foreign minister framed these partnerships as part of a positive strategic trajectory, the lawmaker added.
The briefing occurred weeks after parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf condemned references to the islands in a joint Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and European Union statement. Ghalibaf described those references as repetitive and externally driven, according to Iranian state media. Later in 2025 the State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties issued official title deeds for the islands in the name of the Islamic Republic, further documenting Iranian sovereignty.
