Iran Rejects Bahraini FM’s Allegations
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman dismissed comments by Bahrain’s foreign minister who has accused the Islamic Republic of “destabilizing the region”.
Marziyeh Afkham on Sunday slammed the anti-Iran remarks as “baseless allegations” whose aim is covering up Bahrain’s internal problems.
The spokeswoman recommended the Manama regime to stop its “security and policing attitudes” instead of pinning the blame on others.
She also called on the Bahraini rulers to launch actual political talks with the people and think about settling the ongoing crisis in the Persian Gulf nation.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat daily on September 10, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers fails to address Tehran’s “destabilizing activities in the region”.
The Bahraini minister has also accused Iran of involvement in terrorism in the region.
His recurring anti-Iran allegations come against a backdrop of international admiration for the way Iran managed to finalize the text of a comprehensive nuclear deal with the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Even King Salman of Saudi Arabia, perceived by many as Iran’s main regional rival, has signaled broad support for the Iran nuclear agreement in a recent meeting with US President Barack Obama.
Bahrain, a tiny island country in the Persian Gulf, has been the scene of almost daily protests against the Al Khalifa regime since February 14, 2011, when thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets, calling for the royal family to leave power.
Meanwhile, heavy-handed crackdown on peaceful demonstrations has left scores of Bahrainis dead and hundreds of others injured.
