Iran has called in China’s ambassador after Beijing issued a controversial joint statement with Arab states dealing, among other things, with three disputed islands.Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Iran’s rival Saudi Arabia recently, where he also sat down with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.They issued a joint statement, which contained several clauses that directly dealt with Iranian affairs, its nuclear programme, and its regional activities.Responding, Iran Foreign minister , Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a tweet that the islands are inseparable parts of Iran’s pure soil and Tehran will not hesitate to support its territorial integrity.China and Iran signed a 25-year cooperation agreement last year, which Amirabdollahian said earlier this year has entered the implementation stage but no major contracts have been publicized as part of the deal so far.
