Iran's general says country to use force if diplomacy regarding Abu Musa fails

Azerbaijan, Baku, April 19 / Trend S.Isayev, T. Jafarov/ If the diplomacy regarding the Abu Musa island does not work out, Iran will use force, Commander of Iranian Army's Ground Force Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan said in Tehran this morning during the meeting with foreign countries' attaches, Mehr reported. Pourdastan noted that Iran's army is ready to protect the sovereignty of the islands. Yesterday, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council "strongly condemn the Iranian president's visit to Abu Musa, which is a provocative act and a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands," they said in a joint statement. The UAE has summoned Iran's ambassador to Abu Dhabi to denounce Ahmadinejad's visit to Abu Musa. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahayan warned on Monday that if left unresolved, the issue "could jeopardize international security and peace." This was followed by a warning from president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who said Tuesday that Iran will respond with force to any threats to its territorial integrity. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az