(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 8.​ Iran has delivered a diplomatic note to European Union (EU) countries in response to allegations made in a joint statement by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and EU foreign ministers, Trend reports.

According to the sources, ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions from EU member states were summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

While receiving the ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions from European Union (EU) member states, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi stated that the islands cited in the joint statement of the GCC and the EU are an inseparable part of Iranian territory. He stressed that the EU's assertion that these islands belong to a GCC member state constitutes a breach of the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He also noted that allegations regarding Iran's missile program constitute clear interference in the country's internal affairs. “Claims about Iran's missile program are false and exaggerated. Iran's local defense capabilities, including its missile program, are part of the nation's legitimate right to self-defense,” Takht-Ravanchi added.

The deputy minister further criticized the EU trio (the UK, France, and Germany) of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for failing to fulfill their obligations and demonstrating a lack of goodwill, which has led to diplomatic deadlock.

On October 6, the EU and GCC foreign ministers' joint statement condemned Iran's seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands and urged Tehran to halt programs related to drones and its nuclear program.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic union of six Arab states in the Persian Gulf-Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates-formed in 1981 to foster regional unity, security, and economic integration. With shared cultural, political, and religious roots in Islam, the GCC's objectives include strengthening cooperation and developing unified policies in economic, trade, social, and legislative fields, as well as promoting military cooperation and tackling shared environmental challenges.

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