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IRAN'S OCCUPATION OP ABU MUSA AND THE TUNBS 343
!
in the service of Iran hoisted the Iranian flag on the islands of Abu
Musa and the Tunbs. This action was protested by the Shaikh of
Sharjah (to whom the islands belonged at the time) and by British !
representatives in the Gulf. Consequently, Iran removed her flags :
from the islands, and the flags of Sharjah were rehoisted. The Ruler
of Sharjah was known to have raised his flags over the islands since
1903. i
In support of his continued and undisturbed sovereignly over the
Tunb islands, the Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah presented to the Council
of the League of Arab States 18 historical documents to substantiate ;
his title to the islands. These documents include correspondence
from the former Shaikhs of Lingeh and British representatives in !
the Gulf and concession agreements from British firms and
oil-companies. The documents may be regarded as valuable
evidence in support of Ras al-Khaimah’s title to the two islands.2
As regards Abu Musa, evidence of continued and uninterrupted
control of Sharjah over it is also not lacking. A report prepared by a
firm of British counsels, on the instructions of the Ruler of Sharjah,
reveals abundant British documentary evidence which substan­
tiates Sharjah’s legal title to the island for at least 100 years.

The British counsels state in their report that
:
“Material relevant to the problem has been inspected in London from
the records of the British Museum, the former India Office, the
Public Records Office and the Royal Geographical Society".
Having examined “several hundred files, involving thousands of
1. Ibid. British Official records confirm the sovereignty of Sharjah and Ras
al-Khaimah over the islands of Abu Musa and Tunb during the 19th century. The
Tunb islands became under the sovereignty of Sharjah for some time in the early
part of this century. (See Document on Tunb in Appendix IV).
As regards Sirri, it was under Sharjah’s sovereignty at least until its occupation
by Persian forces in 1887. (See this book, pp. 303-305, above).
After the temporary hoisting of Iran’s flag on the islands in 1904, Iran reasserted
her claims to the islands in 1930,1933, and in 1935. According to Churba, op. cit,
p. 44, in 1935, Iran protested against the award of a red oxide concession on Abu
Musa. But no Iranian protest was made in the case of earlier concessions
awarded by Sharjah in respect of the island. The author points out that “in 1955 .
consideration was given to the possibility of Sharjah recognizing Iran’s
sovereignty over Sirri, Iran recognizing Sharjah’s sovereignty over Abu Musa, I
and Ras al-Khaimah selling the Tunbs to Iran. The Trucial Rulers agreed in
principle, but Iran decided not to surrender her claim to Abu Musa and the
scheme came to nothing". See Churba, cp. cit., pp. 44-45. h
2. See Official Records of the League of Arab States on the Gulf Islands,
Documents presented by Ras al-Khaimah on 6 December 1971. The reassertion
of the Iranian claim on the basis of the colouring of the map in Iranian colours ;
was made in the years 1923 and 1928. (See Churba, op. cit. p. 44.) The author
adds that the Iranian claim has been denied (by Britain) on all occasions both
before and after the presentation of the map". See Ibid.