The accusation that Iran interferes in Bahrain's domestic affairs is baseless and is an attempt to cover up the violations of the majority's rights by a minority that rules the Persian Gulf Arab state, a senior diplomat says.
Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo made the remark in response to allegations by Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, ISNA reported on Sunday.
Accusing Iran of meddling in the island kingdom's internal affairs on Friday, the top Bahraini diplomat claimed that Iran supports "acts of sabotage and terrorism" in the Arab country by forming and arming "terrorist groups".
Referring to comments by the United Arab Emirates foreign minister on the September 24 Hajj crush disaster which claimed the lives of more than 450 Iranian pilgrims, Khoshroo said, "The appalling remarks by the UAE official with respect to the issue which has nothing to do with them will not help defuse any conflicts."
UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan claimed at the UN that Iran's record does not qualify it to speak about the safety of Hajj pilgrims and human rights, nor do its policies give it the right to talk about stability in the Persian Gulf and the wider Middle East.
Deploring the Bahraini and UAE diplomats' "political motives" behind using a fake name for the Persian Gulf and their comments questioning Iran's sovereignty over the three Persian Gulf islands of the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, the Iranian envoy stressed that "the repetition of unfounded and threadbare claims over the territories would not change facts."
Shift in Int'l Attitude
Moreover, the Iranian diplomat took a swipe at the deputy Canadian foreign minister, Daniel Jean, for his anti-Iran comments in his UNGA speech on Friday.
According to Khoshroo, Jean's remarks show the Canadian conservative government's concerns about a shift in the international attitude toward Iran following the conclusion of the nuclear talks between Tehran and major powers.
The ambassador also hit back at Canada for its poor record of human rights, saying the North American country cannot claim to be advocating human rights with its record of violating the rights of aboriginal people, African-Americans and migrants.
