The deputy chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee blamed the Arab League for the current critical situation in Bahrain.
In response to a statement by Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Araby on Friday, in which he had criticized Iran for allegedly interfering in Bahrain’s internal affairs, Mansour Haqiqatpour said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will support the revolutionary movements of the Bahraini nation,” ICANA reported on Saturday.
He said, “The Arab League and its allies are mainly responsible for the recent incidents and crimes in Bahrain,” adding, “It has been repeatedly questioned that why the Saudi armed forces are committing inhumane crimes against the Bahraini people.”
The parliamentarian said, “Iranian officials have announced their stance that they cannot tolerate seeing the Al Khalifa regime to oppress the revolutionary people of Bahrain.”
He reiterated that if the Arab League is honestly concerned about the interests of the oppressed Arab nations, it would be better for the league to find solutions for the crisis in Gaza and Palestine, since the Zionist regime has been committing numerous crimes in the occupied territories.
The lawmaker condemned the Arab League for failing to take a position vis-à-vis the detention of the prominent Bahraini opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, adding that “If the league’s secretary general had adopted a tough stance against Bahraini officials, they wouldn’t have dared to detain Shiites in the country.”
“Of course, the Al Khalifa regime has been suppressing the innocent nation in Bahrain for long,” he continued,
According to the Kuwait news agency (KUNA), Al-Araby said in his statement that the recent remarks by senior Iranian officials about the situation in Bahrain are in violation of international law and the UN principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
On Thursday, (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Abdullatif Al Zayani also expressed disapproval over Iran’s alleged interference in the domestic affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday criticized Manama for detaining Sheikh Salman and described the move as “impulsive” and “imprudent,” IRNA reported.
Bahrain security forces last Sunday detained the cleric who leads the Persian Gulf Arab state’s main opposition bloc, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called for the immediate release of Sheikh Salman in telephone conversations with some of his regional counterparts.
Bahrain has been gripped by tension since 2011 protests led by majority Shiite Muslims demanding reforms and a bigger role in running the Sunni-ruled country.
