TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry cautioned the United Arab Emirates on Sunday that repeating unfounded claims against Iran will not change “historical facts”.

The statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry came as UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah, in a speech to the UN on Saturday, repeated his country’s ownership claims over the three Iranian islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs in the Persian Gulf and accused Tehran of “aggravating conflicts” in the Middle East.

Bahram Qassemi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, advised the UAE foreign minister to be “realistic” and “avoid repeating false and unfounded accusations”.

The spokesman also said the UAE has taken a departure from its past and turned into a war provocateur.

“The Emirati foreign minister is making efforts to accuse others of destabilizing the region while Abu Dhabi has abandoned its traditional conservative role in favor of the region’s war mongering extremist actors in recent years and sought deepening divisions and provoking war instead of reducing tension,” Qassemi stated.

He added that Iran considers support for Takfiri terrorism as the main reason behind the crises in the region.

Qassemi highlighted the importance of adopting “realistic” and “anti-violent” policies by the regional countries to “pass the current turmoil”.

According to the UN News Center, Sheikh Abdullah said, “Regional interference in Arab affairs, mainly perpetrated by Iran, the only country in the world with a constitution that explicitly calls for exporting its revolution, has aggravated conflicts in the region.”

The foreign minister also claimed that Iran’s policies are violations of the principles of sovereignty, and constant interference in the internal affairs of its neighboring countries.

NA/PA