Bahrain MPs condemn Iran's questioning of Manama’s Arab identity

Bahrain’s Council of Representatives has strongly condemned recent statements made by Kamal Kharazi, head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, questioning the Gulf state’s Arab identity. The MPs criticised Kharazi’s comments as false, an attempt to distort history, and a bid to export internal crises rather than address them domestically, reports the Bahrain News Agency.

MP Khalid Saleh Buanaq emphasised Bahrain’s Arab roots, established since its foundation in 1783 and affirmed in a historic UN-backed referendum. He described Kharazi’s statements as disrespectful to Bahrain’s sovereignty and urged Iran to act as a good neighbour.

Lawmaker Ahmed Sabah Al Salloom warned that Kharazi’s comments undermine efforts to improve Bahrain-Iran relations, while MP Ali Saqr Al Dosari called the claims historically and logically baseless.

The Council reaffirmed Bahrain’s Arab identity, unity, and loyalty to its leadership, rejecting any Iranian assertions otherwise. Deputy Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Dr Maryam Al Dhaen, called Kharazi’s remarks a blatant violation of international law, urging a firm response from the international community against such interference.

In a statement on Friday, addressing the EU’s motives for supporting the UAE’s claim over three disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, Kharazi cautioned Abu Dhabi to abandon its hostility towards Iran’s territorial integrity. Kharazi also mentioned the “separation” of Bahrain from Iran in 1971, describing it as an “unforgivable betrayal” by the former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, based on what he called a “fake referendum.”

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