copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of United Arab Emirates (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (1998-11-04): Moreover, the UAEs military forces either on their own or in combination with those of the GCC cannot deter the federations principal security threat, Iran. The federation claims that Iran illegally occupies Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, but Tehran has refused to relinquish control over these three islands. UAE officials believe that the best way to restrain Iranian expansion in the southern Gulf is to integrate a unified, militarily strong Iraq into the Gulfs balance of power. The problem with this strategy is that the United States, which currently dominates the Gulfs military balance, believes that the current regime in Baghdad threatens regional security and opposes any plan that would reintegrate Iraq into an international security structure. [...] The UAEs foreign policy, much like its domestic politics, has been defined largely by border disputes and the politics of the individual emirates. Currently the UAE has territorial disputes with three of its immediate neighbors: Iran, Oman and Qatar; in the past, it has clashed with Saudi Arabia as well. The most serious such conflict, however, is the long-standing dispute with Iran over three Gulf islands: Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. Since 1992, this dispute has come to define the UAEs entire relationship with Iran.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of United Arab Emirates (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-10-25): Pointing to some cases not related to Non-Self-Governing Territories that may still be in violation of the United Nations Charter, the representative of the United Arab Emirates stressed her country’s sovereign right over Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands and called on Iran to renew efforts to resolve that dispute diplomatically through the international court system. [...] SARAH ALAWADHI (United Arab Emirates) listed activities that threaten the viability of a two-State solution in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the building of settlements and the confiscation of property. It is also important to maintain the legal character of Jerusalem and to preserve the historic status of its holy sites. Noting that the United Arab Emirates continues to provide humanitarian aid to Palestine refugees, especially in light of COVID‑19, he cited its provision of 36.3 million tons of medical supplies and vaccines to date. He went on to express support for Morocco’s proposed autonomy plan in Western Sahara and called for the resumption of the political process under the auspices of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, noting that the United Arab Emirates recently opened a general consulate in the Territory. Pointing to some cases not related to Non-Self-Governing Territories that may still be in violation of the United Nations Charter, he stressed his country’s sovereign right over Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands and called on Iran to renew efforts to resolve that dispute diplomatically through the international court system.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of United Arab Emirates (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-14): Ali Akbar Velayati says three disputed islands which UAE claims as its own are ‘integral part’ of Iran’s history, territory. [...] The decades-long dispute is over the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa – three islands in the Strait of Hormuz that have been governed by Iran since 1971 and are claimed by the UAE as part of its territory. [...] Emirati leaders have since maintained that the islands belong to them, with support from other Arab countries. Iran has dismissed these claims, rejecting the possibility of any negotiations over their ownership.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-06-14): Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb (Persian: تنب بزرگ و تنب کوچک, Tonb-e Bozorg and Tonb-e Kuchak, Arabic: طنب الكبرى و طنب الصغرى, Tunb el-Kubra and Tunb el-Sughra) are two small islands in the eastern Persian Gulf, close to the Strait of Hormuz. They lie at 26°15′N 55°16′E / 26.250°N 55.267°E and 26°14′N 55°08′E / 26.233°N 55.133°E, respectively, some 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from each other and 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Iranian island of Qeshm. The islands are administered by Iran as part of its Hormozgan Province.[2] Greater Tunb has a surface area of 10.3 km2 (4.0 sq mi). It is known for its red soil. There are conflicting descriptions about its population: While some sources state there are between a few dozen and a few hundred inhabitants,[3] others describe the island as having no native civilian population.[4] There is reported to be an Iranian garrison and naval station, an aircraft runway, a fish storage facility and a red-soil mine. Lesser Tunb has a surface of 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi) and is uninhabited with the exception of a small airfield, harbour, and entrenched Iranian military unit.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-09-14): In a move that escalated the longstanding dispute between Iran and UAE over the sovereignty of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, in April 2020, the IRGC Navy Commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri announced that under the direct order of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, the islands of the Persian Gulf in the Iranian territory are to be converted into residential properties. While addressing the strategic importance of these three islands, the present research sets out to investigate and test the factors that led to Iran’s current political decision through a survey answered by 94 Iranian academic, political, and military experts. In addition, this research investigates the consequences of this strategic decision which could affect the political, military, and economic situation of the Persian Gulf. Therefore, our main argument is that although Iran’s primary purpose for turning the three islands into residential areas is to settle the disputes over sovereignty as well as to preserve its territorial integrity, the latter aims to increase its domination over the Persian Gulf and extend its influence in the region. [...] Ahmadi, K. (2010). Ba’athist Iraq and the three Islands of Abu Musa and the Tunbs—The genesis and development of an Issue. Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, 1(2). [...] Al-Mazrouei, N.S. (2015). Disputed Islands between UAE and Iran: Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb in the Strait of Hormuz (pp. 3–31). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Gulf Research Centre Cambridge. Retrieved from https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/194095/GRM_Noura_paper__30-09-15_new_7634.pdf.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-07-13): On Tuesday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani reacted to a joint statement by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Russian Federation, stressing that the islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa are an "integral part of Iran’s territory." [...] The three islands, Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs are located in the Persian Gulf between Iran's and UAE's mainland, at the western entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. [...] Iranian forces also landed on uninhabited Lesser Tunb and sparsely populated Greater Tunb, where a minor skirmish was initiated by a few British-affiliated tribal troops.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2012-06-07): Tehran, June 7, IRNA - Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast on Thursday said Abu Musa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs Islands are and will be the integral parts of Iran.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2014-10-01): The UAE’s use of the annual UN event to raise such an issue, which is nothing but a misunderstanding, is absolutely unacceptable, stressed the paper adding that UAE should know that such statements about the three islands, which have been part of the Iranian territory, cannot change the reality and are only assumed as an unfriendly stance and a threadbare claim. Bilateral issues are normally discussed between governments and such territorial dispute, which Iran regards as a simple misunderstanding, should be resolved between both the nations and it’s not legally right to raise it at an international gathering like the UNGA meeting because this will lead nowhere. [...] Tehran, Oct 1, IRNA - Undoubtedly, Iran’s sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa was, is, and will remain the Islamic Republic's territory forever, underscored 'Iran Daily' on Wednesday.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-08-02): The manoeuvres, held near Abu Musa island but also around Greater and Lesser Tunbs, come two weeks after the United States boosted its military presence in the Gulf. The additional firepower included F-35 fighter jets and a marine expeditionary force that usually consists of 2,500 marines and at least two warships. [...] Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval exercise started Wednesday morning for the defence of the Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf," the official IRNA news agency reported, citing IRGC navy commander Ali Ozmaee as saying that the drills "were held in Abu Musa island and Greater and Lesser Tunb". [...] Tehran says the islands have been part of successive Persian empires since antiquity and claims that a 1971 memorandum of understanding between the previous government of the Shah of Iran and the ruler of Sharjah, one of the UAE's seven emirates, justifies its military presence on the islands.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-06-13): The Greater Tunb, The Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa Island | 13 Jun 2024 Recently, Iran called in China's ambassador to lodge a protest over a joint statement made by China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the sovereignty of the Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb islands. [...] - Iran claims that the islands were historically part of Persian territories until they were occupied by the British in the early 20th century.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-10): Condemning any remarks about Iran’s construction in its territories, the visit of the country’s officials to the southern islands, and the holding of military drills on its borders, the spokesman stressed that the Islamic Republic sees those claims as interference in its domestic affairs.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-06-13): The Greater Tunb, The Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa Island - 13 Jun 2024 - 1 min read Recently, Iran called in China's ambassador to lodge a protest over a joint statement made by China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the sovereignty of the Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb islands. [...] - Iran claims that the islands were historically part of Persian territories until they were occupied by the British in the early 20th century.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-12): Territorial disputes in the Persian Gulf [...] Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb [edit]In 1971, after the British left the area Iranian forces claimed the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb, located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf between Iran and the UAE. The Iranians asserted their claims to the islands. Iran continued to hold the islands in 1993, and its action remained a source of contention with the UAE, which claimed authority by virtue of Britain's transfer of the islands to the emirates of Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah. However, Britain had also agreed to give full authority to the Iranians in return for Iran's withdrawal of its claim on Bahrain. By late 1992, Sharjah and Iran had reached agreement with regard to Abu Musa, but Ras al-Khaimah had not reached a settlement with Iran concerning Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb.[1] The UAE have attempted to bring the dispute before the International Court of Justice,[2] but Iran refused. Tehran says the islands always belonged to it as it had never renounced possession of the islands, and that they are part of Iranian territory.[3]
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-12-28): Three Disputed Islands: Abu Musa, Greater Tunb & Lesser Tunb - Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb are three small islands located near the entrance of Strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf. [...] - Though the size of these islands is very small, the strategic importance of these islands is that due to the greater depth of sea large oil tankers and ships pass between Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb islands. [...] Iran-UAE dispute over the islands - Iran's claim: According to Iran, these islands have historically under its control. In 1971, the then Shah of Iran dispatched Royal Navy to these three islands after the British withdrew its forces from UAE. These three islands fell into British hands in 1921, prior to which they were under Persian control.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2011-09-06): The Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu-Musa Islands are situated near the Straight of Hurmuz in the Persian Gulf, south of Iran. The Lesser Tunb is 22 miles from the mainland of Iran. The Lesser Tunb is 17 miles from the Iranian land. Both of them are not able to sustain living and they had never inhabitants. Abu- Musa is the home for a limited number of people (less than 50 households). The Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu-Musa Islands have been part of Iran since the times immemorial. In the Nineteenth Century, they were parts of the "Lengheh Territory" that was itself an administrative section of the Fars Province of Iran. [...] It is also interesting that Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, after attacking Iran in 1980 and capturing a part of the Iranian territory in the border of Iran-and Iraq declared that if Iran wanted peace, it must accept several conditions, including the withdrawal of Iranian forces from the three islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu-Musa. (The most important part of the other conditions was abrogation of the 1975 treaty between Iran and Iraq which designated the Thalweg line or the most navigable canal in the Arvandrood as the border of the two countries).
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-01): Although not as well covered by the media as other disputes over island territories, the conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Arab Emirates concerning the sovereignty over the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa is one of the most crucial current unresolved territorial questions. The critical importance of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs due to their location in the Persian/Arabian Gulf and close to the Strait of Hormuz on the one hand and the historical ambiguities and uncertainties surrounding the islands on the other make the legal assessment of the ownership question over the islands particularly challenging. [...] Hilal Al-Kaabi M (1994) The question of Iranian occupation of the Islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa Belonging to the United Arab Emirates,17 May 1994, US Army War College, www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA280066. Accessed 25 Oct 2015
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-29): The seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by the Imperial Iranian Navy took place on 30 November 1971, shortly after the withdrawal of British forces from the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, all located in the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.[1] The Imperial State of Iran had claimed sovereignty over both sets of islands, while the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah claimed the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and the Emirate of Sharjah claimed Abu Musa. [...] At 5:30 pm on 29 November 1971, a contingent of the Iranian army supported by Imperial Iranian Navy forces invaded the Lesser and Greater Tunbs.[7] In the Tunbs, the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, who did not have a signed agreement with Iran, resisted the Iranian troops.[8] On Greater Tunb, the Iranians ordered the six policemen stationed there to lower the flag. Salem Suhail bin Khamis, the head policeman, refused to comply and was shot and killed.[citation needed][9] Policemen in Greater Tunb clashed with the Iranian troops and in the ensuing skirmish four Ras Al Khaimah policemen and three Iranian soldiers were killed. The Iranian troops then demolished the police station, the school, and a number of houses, and forced the natives to leave the island.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-01): The United Arab Emirates has consistently and forcefully protested Iran’s illegal occupation of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs from the moment Iranian military forces occupied the three islands on 30 November 1971, just two days before the establishment of the UAE.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-10-01): "We renew our demand to end Iran's occupation of the UAE's three islands: Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. History and international law bear testimony to the UAE’s sovereignty over the three islands. We will never stop our legitimate claim to these islands, either through direct negotiation or through the International Court of Justice." [...] The three islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb are all relatively small and reside in the Persian Gulf. Abu Musa, a 12.8 square-kilometer island, has a small population of just over 2,000 people living on it. The Greater Tunb, with an area of 10.3 square kilometers, and the Lesser Tunb, just two square kilometers, both have little to no inhabitants, aside from Iran military personnel.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-09-29): - Contested territories - Administered by Iran - Claimed by United Arab Emirates - Area 12,3 km² The Tunbs (Persian: تنب بزرگ و تنب کوچک, Arabic: طنب الكبرى و طنب الصغرى) are two Islands in the Persian Gulf. Over the course of time the islands have been ruled by various rulers: the kings of Hormuz, Portuguese colonizers, Persian emperors and the British Empire. The British put the Emirate of Sharjah in control in 1921. In 1971, just two days before the British protectorate was about to end and the United Arab Emirates were formed, Iran seized the opportunity to take the islands by force, claiming that they never acknowledged the possession by others. Iran now administers the islands, but they are claimed by the UAE. The islands’ location near the busy Strait of Hormuz, through which numerous oil tankers pass, gives the islands great strategic importance in the region.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-10-23): The representative of Saudi Arabia said the kingdom’s outer space strategy aims to promote space safety and security through early warning systems and international cooperation, adding that such efforts culminated in the creation of the Saudi Space Commission, in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States. He went on to state that Saudi Arabia seeks moderation and respect for human rights in the media sphere while preventing terrorist groups from using media to promote their hateful ideologies. As such, the kingdom has established the Global Centre to Combat Extremism, among other measures. On peace operations, he said Saudi Arabia has provided technical support and assistance to the G5 Sahel Force. Noting that Saudi Arabia is one of the largest donors to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), he said "we are proud to defend the Palestinian cause". Going on to condemn Iran’s actions regarding the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, he reaffirmed the legitimate right of the United Arab Emirates over those islands and called for direct negotiations in that regard. [...] The representative of the United Arab Emirates said Iran’s claim over Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb is unjustified. The islands have always been Arab territory, he emphasized, adding that Iran has provided no documented proof of its rights. [...] The representative of Iran insisted that Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb remained integral parts of his Iranian territory.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-07-11): Iran was quick to leverage political openings to annex unprotected strategic territories. In late 1971, as the British formally dissolved their longstanding protectorate in the Persian Gulf, Iranian forces snatched three strategic islands from a fledgling United Arab Emirates, invading just before UAE even managed to formally declare itself as an independent state. The small Iranian-occupied islands, known as Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, straddle the channels approaching the Strait of Hormuz, and, as such, are some of the most strategically interesting pieces of real estate in the Persian Gulf. The islands have been militarized, and each sport small-boat harbors, airstrips and, presumably, a full suite of missiles, radars and other surveillance gear. [...] Articulating a firm "use them and lose them" doctrine for Iran's island bases and militarized sea features offers the international community a framework to respond in a limited but consequential fashion to chronic Iranian adventurism. Blockading and taking Farsi Island, a piece of fortified sand eighty times smaller than Iwo Jima, can be done. Re-establishing UAE sovereignty over Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and expelling Iran from dual-use military and maritime petrochemical production sites are achievable options as well.
Claim: Greater and Lesser Tunbs is a territory of Iran (Greater and Lesser Tunbs, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-02-13): In the claims put forth by the sheikhdoms of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, it has been consistently asserted that Britain recognizes these three islands as belonging to these two emirates. Despite Britain considering these emirates as belonging to the mentioned sheikhdoms due to its protectorate and safeguarding of its interests, Western countries, including Britain itself from 1770-1898, officially portrayed those islands as being under the sovereignty and within the territory of Iran. Regarding Iran's sovereignty over the three islands, there are at least twelve official reports prepared and dispatched to the British Foreign Office in London by the War Office and the Admiralty, the East India Company, and the British political representatives in the Persian Gulf. One common point in these reports is that they consistently refer to Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb as territories under the sovereignty of Iran. It is evident that Britain recognized the three islands as part of Iran until the early 20th century, and their stance shifted after occupying them. [...] As indicated by maps, both Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb are situated closer to the Iranian coastline. Furthermore, Abu Musa is located near Siri Island, one of Iran's islands.