Iran's mission to the UN has warned the United Arab Emirates that claims to three Persian Gulf islands - Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb - amount to an encroachment on the territorial integrity of Iran, Press TV reported.

The Iranian mission issued the warning in a statement that was read at the end of the 77th annual meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The statement was in response to UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Ebrahim al-Hashemi, who said during his address to the world body that Abu Dhabi has a legitimate right to the three islands.

The Emirati official's claims and reiteration of unsubstantiated statements regarding Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf amount to an attack on Iran's territorial integrity, the statement said.

It adds that Iran considers such "irresponsible" statements as interference in its internal affairs and a violation of fundamental principles of international law, including the principle of good neighborliness.

This is not the first time Abu Dhabi has claimed its right to the islands.

Tehran, for its part, has consistently stressed its ownership of the islands, citing historical facts dating back to before the establishment of the UAE.

At the same time as asserting its right to the islands, IRI states that it constantly strives to pursue a policy of friendship with all its neighbors, including the Emirates, and expresses its readiness to maintain and strengthen relations with them.