Page 162 - The Origins of the United Arab Emirates_Neat

128 The Origins of the United Arab Emirates

In 1934, official Iranian interest in Tunb was renewed, once
more arousing British fears. In April, the governor, collector of
customs and chief of police at Bandar Abbas had visited the island,
where they had inquired about the lighthouse and generally been
friendly and courteous.9 Despite the wishes of the India Office,
the Foreign Office did not want to make a formal protest to
the Iranian Government about the visit: ‘The present policy of
{ His Majesty’s Government involves the avoidance of anything in
the nature of a needless challenge to Persia . . . .’I0 In August of
the same year, an Iranian sloop, the Palang, searched a dhow
belonging to the agent of the British India Steam Navigation Com­
pany who lived in Dubai. A few days later an Iranian vessel
landed a party at Tunb and anchored off' the island.11
London viewed these naval activities, coming so soon after the
visit of Iranian officials to Tunb, with great alarm. The Foreign
Office at first instructed the British Minister in Tehran to warn
the Iranian Government that orders had been given to British
naval officers to regard as aggression any persistent action connoting
a claim to sovereignty; later, following an approach by the Iranian
Foreign Minister for the reopening of general treaty negotiations,
the Minister was told to tone down the warning. Caught between the
two governments’ political strategies, and unwilling to wait for the
outcome, Shaykh Sultan decided to keep independently in contact
with Iran. He incurred the great wrath of the Resident when, on
29 December 1934, he removed his flag and flagstafT from Tunb.12
A sloop was sent to Sharjah immediately afterwards to inquire into the
meaning of this ‘extraordinary acdon’. The Residency Agent reported
that the removal of the flagstafT was to call attention to the fact that
the British Government did not pay rent for the lighthouse, while the
ruler of Sharjah received money for the airport in his shaykhdom;13
another reason given was that Sultan hoped that Britain would lease
the island from him.14 Despite assurances that Sultan had acted with
a view to increasing his personal income and not because of Iranian
influence, rumours reached Bushire that steps were being taken to
hoist the Iranian flag on Tunb and for Iranian officials to begin
collecting customs duties there. The Resident gave Sultan ten days
in which to rehoist his flag on Tunb, and was sternly warned
that if he did not comply he would lose the island to his Qasimi
cousin the ruler of Sharjah, who was anxious to reclaim the island
for his own shaykhdom.15 The ultimatum proved successful, for
on 3 April Sultan replaced his flag and flagstafT, after which the
matter remained dormant. Britain, however, continued to regard
Abu Musa and Tunb as unquestionably Arab, which they remained
until December 1971, when Iran occupied them by force of arms.
In the case of Abu Musa, the Iranian claim was not put forward