Canada joins UAE claim to three Iranian islands: Abu Musa and the Tunbs

In a joint statement with the United Arab Emirates published on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, Canada called for an “end to the occupation” of the three islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, and described these Iranian islands as belonging to the UAE. With the statement, Canada joined the list of countries that have accepted the UAE’s territorial claim to three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf.

The statement was signed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at the end of the crown prince’s first official visit to Ottawa on 26 and 27 October. It describes Iran’s presence on the islands as a violation of the UAE’s sovereignty and of the principles of the United Nations Charter. Iran is not named in the statement, and it makes no mention of the Strait of Hormuz.

Islands statement alongside economic and defence deals

The clause on the islands was part of a larger package. During the visit, the two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, concluded a defence memorandum of understanding on joint exercises, cybersecurity and military exchanges, and announced the creation of a joint military committee. According to the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, the two sides welcomed progress on the UAE’s $70 billion commitment to invest in Canada, from energy to transport infrastructure. Negotiations on an extradition treaty have also begun.

Mark Carney had earlier called the Islamic Republic’s missile and drone attacks on the UAE “unprovoked” and declared solidarity with the Emirates. The war that the Islamic Republic dragged the region into made the UAE one of the targets of its attacks and gave Abu Dhabi a freer hand to win Western support for its claim to the islands.

Background to the UAE’s claim to the Iranian islands

Abu Musa and the two Tunbs returned to Iranian sovereignty on 30 November 1971, under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and after Britain’s withdrawal from the Persian Gulf; in the case of Abu Musa, a memorandum of understanding had been signed beforehand with the Emirate of Sharjah. The United Arab Emirates, founded a few days later, has claimed ownership of the islands ever since.

In recent years, the number of countries backing this claim in joint statements has grown. In October 2024, the European Union, in a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, explicitly called on Iran to end its “occupation” of the three islands. China and the United States have also backed, in joint statements with the UAE, a resolution of the dispute through negotiations or the International Court of Justice.

By signing a joint statement with the UAE, Canada called Iran’s presence on Abu Musa and the two Tunbs an “occupation”.

At the time of publication, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry had not issued any response to the Canada-UAE statement.