A joint statement at the end of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia has led to a strong backlash by Iranians who read it as a betrayal by Beijing.

In the statement, the GCC and the Chinese side made a reference to three islands in the Persian Gulf that Iran took over as its historic territory in 1971 but the United Arab Emirates claims as its own.

Iranians on social media soon began to criticize their government for what they saw as a slap in the face by an ally. They asked clerical rulers how China could have acquiesced to such a statement that goes against Tehran’s interests.

Read more at Iran International.