ABSTRACT
Sovereignty over Abu Musa and the Tunbs has long been disputed between Persia and the Emirates of Sharjah and Ras al Khaymah (UAE). In the middle of the 19th century, possession of all three islands was taken by the Qawasim family of the Trucial Coast and this ownership was recognised by Britain. In international maritime law, such evidence of government ownership of a sovereignty can be very important in arbitration. There were again problems in 1928 when an Arab dhow was seized by Persian customs officials at Greater Tunb. Arab oil exports are not quite so vulnerable in that there are pipelines to both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have considered the possibility of pipelines to the Indian Ocean coast. The Tunbs remain under Iranian control and their position places them firmly within Iranian jurisdiction.
