The Three Arabian Islands - A Documentary Study

Al-Tadmori, Ahmed Jalal; Supervised with a Foreword by HH Sheikh Khalid Bin Saqr Al-Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Published by RAK National Printing Press, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, 2000

About this Item

"History and Events Confirm the Arabian Nature of the Islands & Gulf" (back cover). Original gilt-titled colour illustrated wraps with French flaps 18x24cm. Printed by RAK National Printing Press. (2)pp prelims, 318pp text with many colour and b/w photos, maps, and facsimile documents, (2)pp map, (1)pp. English language edition translated from the Arabic, both undated c2000. Wraps good, worn to the spine ends and creased to the corners. Interiors good, yellowing at the edges with rippling to the leaves. This presents the UAE's official position on its dispute with Iran over the highly strategic islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's undocumented claims date back to the C6th BCE, while those of the UAE are supported by official British documents from the early 1800s. Prior to exiting the Gulf the British had helped Sharjah and Iran reach agreement to divide Abu Musa into 2 zones, but RAK and Iran failed to come to terms over the Tunbs. Thus in 1971 Iran entered its zone on Abu Musa peacefully, and took the Tunbs by force. UAE perceived that Britain and the US had favoured Iran, seeing the Shah as a source of regional stability. This changed with the 1979 Revolution. Tensions increased during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), when Iran fired on Iraqi and Kuwaiti ships from Abu Musa, and used the islands as a base for its Revolutionary Guards. In 1992 Iran annexed Sharjah's zone on Abu Musa, and rejected several offers to resolve through the ICJ and UN. The author, a member of the Arab Historians Union and Arab Journalists Union, reviews pre-colonial history and Persian ambition from the time of Alexander the Great, considers the strategic importance in colonial times, and finally Iran's seizure, Arab reactions, and attempts to resolve. He also assesses the impact of Iranian rule, and the legal claims. Photos show the islands, dignitaries and officials. Facsimiles reproduce Arab and British correspondence including Anglo-Iranian Oil Company letters and maps seeking RAK permission to explore in the Tunbs. Rare. (Ref. Al-Mazrouei, "Disputed Islands between UAE and Iran", 2015).

Seller Inventory # 5581

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Three Arabian Islands - A Documentary Study
• Publisher: RAK National Printing Press, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
• Publication Date: 2000
• Language: English
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Good