evidence: In a move that escalated the longstanding dispute between Iran and UAE over the sovereignty of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, in April 2020, the IRGC Navy Commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri announced that under the direct order of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, the islands of the Persian Gulf in the Iranian territory are to be converted into residential properties. While addressing the strategic importance of these three islands, the present research sets out to investigate and test the factors that led to Iran’s current political decision through a survey answered by 94 Iranian academic, political, and military experts. In addition, this research investigates the consequences of this strategic decision which could affect the political, military, and economic situation of the Persian Gulf. Therefore, our main argument is that although Iran’s primary purpose for turning the three islands into residential areas is to settle the disputes over sovereignty as well as to preserve its territorial integrity, the latter aims to increase its domination over the Persian Gulf and extend its influence in the region. [...] Ahmadi, K. (2010). Ba’athist Iraq and the three Islands of Abu Musa and the Tunbs—The genesis and development of an Issue. Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, 1(2). [...] Al-Mazrouei, N.S. (2015). Disputed Islands between UAE and Iran: Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb in the Strait of Hormuz (pp. 3–31). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Gulf Research Centre Cambridge. Retrieved from https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/194095/GRM_Noura_paper__30-09-15_new_7634.pdf.