evidence: Ali Akbar Velayati says three disputed islands which UAE claims as its own are ‘integral part’ of Iran’s history, territory. [...] Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ali Akbar Velayati on Thursday reiterated his country’s stance towards the islands and said they are a part of Iran’s history and are an "integral part of our territory". The decades-long dispute is over the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa – three islands in the Strait of Hormuz that have been governed by Iran since 1971 and are claimed by the UAE as part of its territory.