Abu Musa, island (2010 est. pop.
1,868), c. 4.6 sq mi (12 sq km), E Persian Gulf, disputed between Iran, who occupies it, and
the United Arab Emirates. Strategically located near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz
(through which much of the world's oil supply is shipped), Abu Musa was under British control
for most of the 20th cent. until 1971, when it was stipulated that Sharjah, a sheikdom that is
now part of the United Arab Emirates, would control it. That same year, however, Iran, which
had long claimed Abu Musa, seized it (along with Greater
and Lesser Tunb). A 1971 agreement granted shared sovereignty over Abu Musa to
Iran and Sharjah, but Iran maintained significant control over the island. In 1992 Iran
asserted full control over Abu Musa.
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