Neighbors’ repeated claims about Arash; proposal to refer to impartial international arbitrators

According to Energy Press, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has once again made repeated claims about the three Iranian islands in its latest statement. The council also claimed in another part of its statement that the Arash gas field is located in the waters of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and called on Iran to come to the negotiating table to resolve these issues.
Hassan Moradi, a professor of energy law at the University of Tehran, emphasized in an interview with this media outlet about the Arash gas field that the issue of this field is not new and has a long history. He said: The story of Arash is not new. This debate has been going on for years, both geographically and within the framework of the law of the sea. There are specific divisions in the law of the sea, and the Arash field is located in an area where the interests of Iran, the government of Kuwait, and also Saudi Arabia intersect.
Moradi added: Iran had previously taken steps to explore and exploit this field, but it stopped for a period of time, and this issue paved the way for claims from others. Even before the revolution, Iran was active in this area, and the historical record of our country’s presence in the Arash field cannot be denied in any way. He explained, referring to some claims made in regional meetings: It is baseless to claim in conferences such as the Persian Gulf that the Arash field belongs to Saudi Arabia or Kuwait. Just as similar claims are made in the world about Iranian islands, historical facts cannot be changed. The rule of dominance in international law states that when a territory or area is in the possession of a country for years, this is a sign of ownership of that country. Regarding Arash, Iran also has a history of occupation and exploitation.