"It seems the Iranian side does not want to understand. There is no 'misunderstanding' between us but an actual occupation" of the strategic islands controlled by Iran and claimed by the UAE, a foreign ministry official told AFP.
"There is no occupied land more sacred than another occupied land. Occupation is occupation, whether it is by Israel, Iran or any other country," he said, requesting anonymity.
Tehran gained control of three islands -- Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa -- after the departure of British troops in 1971, when Iran was ruled by the pro-Western shah.
It took possession of Greater and Lesser Tunbs, while Abu Musa, the only inhabited island, was placed under joint administration under a deal with Sharjah, now part of the UAE.
In 1980, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran and part of the pre-war plan involved invading these islands in the name of the Arab world. Saddam wanted the Arab world to back him in a fight between the champion of the Arab world--Iraq--and Persian Iran. But at the last minute, the operation was scrubbed. So when the going got tough, the Arab world left Iraq to fight alone, providing only loans and other financial support to bankrole the fight.
Right now, the Arab world would be happy if we destroyed the Iranian regime's nuclear projects. But I wouldn't count on them to back us when the going gets tough.
But if we include the occupation of these Arab-claimed islands as part of an operation to secure the Gulf oil shipping lanes while we hammer Iran from the air, this would tend to bind the Gulf Arab states to our side and mute criticism from the wider Arab world.
