Abu Musa

Abu Musa is a 12.8-square-kilometre (4.9 sq mi) island in the eastern Persian Gulf, near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The island is currently administered by Iran. Due to the depth of the sea, oil tankers and other large ships have to pass between Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs, which makes these islands one of the most strategic points in the Persian Gulf. The island is under the administration of Iran, as part of Abumusa County, Hormozgan province. It is, however, claimed by the United Arab Emirates as part of its Sharjah emirate. It is a possible US military objective in the 2026 Iran war. Name Iranian inhabitants of Abu Musa call it "Gap-sabzu" (Persian: گپ‌سبزو), which in Persian means "the great green place". On old Persian maps, the island is called: "Boum-Ouw" (Persian: بوم‌اوو) or "Boum-Ouf" (Persian: بوم‌اوف) which in Persian means "Waterland". "Boum-Souz" (Persian: بوم‌سوز) or "Boum-Sou"/"Boum-Souw" (Persian: بوم‌سو) or "Gap-Sabzou" (Persian: گپ‌سبزو) which in Persian means "green land". In recent centuries it, has also been called Bum Musa, Persian for "the land of Musa/Moses", instead of "Boum-Sou". In Arabic sources, "Abu Musa" (Arabic: أبو موسى) comes from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, a companion of Muhammad, who stayed on the island in 643 CE before battling the Persians. Geography Abu Musa island is located 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of Bandar-e Shenas and 59 kilometres (37 mi) north-northwest of Sharjah. Of the 14 islands of Hormozgan, it is the farthest from the Iranian coast. Its highest point is the 110-metre (360 ft) Mount Halva. Abu Musa city is the center of the island. The weather in Abu Musa is warm and humid, a better climate compared to other islands in the Persian Gulf. It has the most diverse ecosystem, but lacks suitable soil and water for farming. Fishing is the main industry for the locals. It is served by the regional Abu Musa Airport. History The early disputes The sovereignty of Abu Musa is disputed between Iran, which administers the island, and the UAE, which has claimed the island since the formation of the federation in 1971 as the successor to Sharjah's prior administration. By common consent, the island had been under the control of the Al-Qasimi ruler of Sharjah. The island was covered by a protection treaty signed between the rulers of the Gulf and Britain as far back as 1819. The dispute over the ownership of the island predates the establishment of the UAE, and the first historical record of the dispute was in 1904, when the Iranians lowered a local flag of the Trucial States and replaced it with an Iranian one. This was swiftly opposed by the British Empire's authorities, and it led to the Iranian forces withdrawing shortly after occupying the islands. They attempted to occupy them again in 1923. In 1906, Salim bin Sultan, the uncle of Sharjah's ruler Saqr bin Khalid, awarded a concession for iron oxide deposit discovery on the island to three Arabs, whose workers extracted the mineral and agreed to sell it to Wonckhaus, a German enterprise. However, Saqr bin Khalid discovered and disagreed with the act, so he cancelled the grant. The workers were then removed from the island with assistance from the British, resulting in an international incident. After 1908, the UK controlled the island along with the other British-held islands in the Persian Gulf, including what is today the UAE. In the late 1960s, the UK transferred administration of the island to the British-appointed Sharjah, one of the seven sheikhdoms that would later form the UAE. For 20 consecutive days in 1964, Iranian forces occupied the territory, claiming that the landing was a military maneuver, before leaving. After the UK announced in 1968 that it would end its administrative and military positions in the Persian Gulf, Iran moved again to attach the island politically to the mainland. On 30 November 1971, two days before the official establishment of UAE, Iran and Sharjah signed a Memorandum of Understanding. They agreed to allow Sharjah to have a local police station and to Iran stationing troops on the island according to the map attached to the Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement divided the island's energy resources between the two signatories. "By agreeing to the pact, the tiny emirate prevented an invasion by Iran, which two days earlier had taken two other disputed islands, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, which were even smaller and uninhabited." Iranian takeover On 30 November 1971, a day before the UK officially left the region, Iran moved troops onto the island who were officially welcomed by the Sheikh of Sharjah's brother, Sheikh Saqer. UAE claim The UAE took its sovereignty claim over Abu Musa and the two Tunb islands to a meeting of the United Nations Security Council of 9 December 1971. At that meeting, it was decided to "defer consideration of this matter to a later date". Iraq (Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr era), Syria, Kuwait, Algeria, South Yemen and Libya held the view that the territory rightfully belongs to the UAE. Since that time, the UAE has consistently called in public statements for either bilateral negotiations or by referring the issue to the International Court of Justice (or another form of international arbitration). Saddam Hussein attempted to justify the Iran–Iraq War by claiming that one of the objectives was to "liberate" Abu Musa and the Tunbs in the Persian Gulf. In 1992, Iran expelled "foreign" workers who operated the UAE-sponsored school, medical clinic, and power-generating station. The dispute has caused serious friction between Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah on the one hand and some other emirates of the UAE on the other. Ras Al Khaimah advocates tough measures against Iran. Dubai believes that the conflict is unnecessary. The present ruler of Dubai, who is also Vice President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister of the UAE, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has earlier stated publicly that "he believes the tensions over the islands have been fabricated by the United States". In 2012, a visit to the island by Iranian president Ahmedinejad provoked a diplomatic incident. Iran's historical claim to ownership over the islands traces back to the Parthian and Sasanian Empires, among others. Iran considers the island to have been occupied by the UK and refers to the agreement between Iran and the emirate of Sharjah in 1971. Iran US war In July 2026, the US attacked Iranian government sites on the island. Demographics In 2012, the island had about 2,131 inhabitants, making it Iran's smallest county. The city of Abu Musa had 1,953 inhabitants in 2012, up 248 from 2006. Most of the native residents of the island speak the "Bandari" dialect of Persian. UAE citizens living on the island allegedly face "great difficulties" with the lack of proper clinics and schools. Only one school exists on the island, and it is used by 150 students. Patients have to be transported to Sharjah to receive treatment, but that is sometimes not feasible because of the Iranian authorities. Iran allegedly delays or blocks UAE's school and medical supplies from entering the island. Climate The island's climate is hot and arid. Classified as BWh under Köppen climate classification. The Island has warm to hot weather throughout the year, with all months averaging above 20 °C (68 °F). Almost all of its annual precipitation falls during the winter season. See also Iran–United Arab Emirates relations Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs Sir Abu Nu'ayr List of lighthouses in Iran List of islands of Iran Notes References Sources Haghshenas, Seyeed Ali, Iran Historical Sovereignty over the Tunbs and BuMusa Islands. 2010, Tehran. Further reading Schofield, Richard (2003). Unfinished Business: Iran, the Uae, Abu Musa and the Tunbs. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs. ISBN 0-905031-90-3. External links Media related to Abu Musa Island at Wikimedia Commons "ABU MUSĀ" at Encyclopædia Iranica History, description, map of Abu Musa and nearby islands (Archived 2009-10-24) History of Abu Musa and The Tunbs UAE Interact Abu Musa News Abu Musa's military garrison Dispute between Iran and Sharjah Report of the International symposium on Modern Boundaries of Iran – Problems and practices of Iranian boundaries Archived 27 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Pirouz Mojtahed-Zadeh, 10/15/02 Picture of Abu Musa Lighthouse