(MENAFN) Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday it has called in European Union (EU) ambassadors and diplomatic mission leaders to protest what it described as "meddlesome" accusations in a recent joint declaration issued by the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The contentious statement, released Monday following the 29th GCC-EU Joint Ministerial Meeting in Kuwait, challenged Iran’s sovereignty over the strategically significant Gulf islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb. It also raised alarms about Tehran’s nuclear activities and its proliferation of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, among other advanced technologies.

During the diplomatic summons on Tuesday, Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, expressed Tehran’s firm objection. He reiterated Iran’s "indisputable sovereignty" over the three islands and criticized the EU’s stance as a "political and biased position."

Iran maintains that these islands have long been integral to its territory, supported by historical, legal, and geographical evidence. However, the United Arab Emirates also lays claim to the islands and continues to push for negotiations to resolve the dispute.

Takht Ravanchi further denounced the EU’s "unreal and exaggerated narratives" concerning Iran’s defense capabilities, denouncing the bloc’s "conspicuous interference" in the nation’s internal matters.

He defended Iran’s missile program and other domestic defense initiatives as "part of the country's inherent right to defend itself and guarantees regional stability and security."

Additionally, Takht Ravanchi condemned the EU and the trio of France, Britain, and Germany—known as the E3—for neglecting their commitments under the 2015 nuclear accord. He accused them of exploiting the dispute resolution mechanism to reinstate UN sanctions.

In coordination with Washington, the E3 triggered the snapback mechanism in August after the UN Security Council failed to renew sanctions relief in September.

Since September last year, Iran has engaged in several negotiation rounds with the E3, primarily focused on its nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions.

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