Iran Condemns Bahrain’s Plan To Normalize Ties With Israel

4

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Saturday strongly condemned Bahrain’s plan to normalize relations with Israel, calling it a shameful and ignominious move by the Gulf Arab country.

Join our WhatsApp group

Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


Bahrain’s announcement Friday followed a similar normalization agreement last month by the United Arab Emirates, a fellow U.S. ally. The two Arab nations’ establishment of full relations with Israel is part of a broader push by the Trump administration find common ground with countries that share U.S. wariness of Iran. Tehran’s arch rival Saudi Arabia may also be close to a deal.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Bahrain’s normalization “will remain in the historical memory of the oppressed and downtrodden people of Palestine and the world’s free nations forever.”

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also denounced Bahrain’s move using similar language, calling it a betrayal of the Palestinian people and a “threat to security in West Asia and the Muslim world.”

The agreements by the UAE and now Bahrain are a setback for Palestinian leaders, who have urged Arab nations to withhold recognition until they have secured an independent state. The Palestinians have seen a steady erosion in once-unified Arab support — one of the few cards they still held as leverage against Israel — since President Donald Trump began pursuing an unabashedly pro-Israel agenda.

The Foreign Ministry statement also said Bahrain’s government and the other supporting governments would be held accountable for any act by Israel that causes insecurity in the Persian Gulf region.

The island of Bahrain lies just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, and is among the world’s smallest countries, only about 760 square kilometers (290 square miles). Bahrain’s location in the Persian Gulf long has made it a trading stop and a naval defensive position. The island is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and a recently built British naval base.

Like Iran, Bahrain’s population is majority Shiite, and the country has been ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family.

Since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrain’s rulers have blamed Iran for arming militants on the island. Iran denies the accusations. Bahrain’s Shiite majority has accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens. The Shiites joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the wider Middle East. Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped violently put down the demonstrations.


Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


Connect with VINnews

Join our WhatsApp group


4 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
PaulinSaudi
PaulinSaudi
3 years ago

I wonder how this will impact the internal security situation over in Bahrain. It is a more dangerous witch’s brew there than here.

5TRESIDENT
5TRESIDENT
3 years ago

Iran is on the wrong side of history, just as they have been since 1979. Moderate Arab countries are starting to realize that their refusal to recognize Israel isn’t working out. Israel has the most powerful army in the Middle East to go along with the most robust economy and leadership in many tech fields. 250 international companies, including Intel, Microsoft, Apple and others, have R & D facilities in Israel. There probably aren’t many in Teheran. Of course, all of this is a continuing Nes min Hashamayim.