Bahrain: Khamenei's Intent to Ignite Tensions in the Region

The Bahraini Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian representation in Bahrain to protest the recent statements made by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, accusing him of intending to "ignite the flames of tensions in the region" and intervening in Bahrain's internal affairs. According to AFP, on Saturday, December 7, Bahrain's Foreign Ministry called in Hamid Shafizadeh, the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Manama, to express its objection to what it termed Iran's "blatant interference" in Bahrain's internal matters. This protest follows Khamenei's remarks on Wednesday, December 4, during a meeting with Basij commanders, where he accused the Sunni ruling regime of Bahrain of being a "tyrannical minority in power" that is engaged in "pressure and insult against the people of Bahrain and humiliating them." According to Khamenei's official website, he also stated that "the actions of this tyrannical minority have reached a point where they insult the sanctities and mourning rituals of Muharram for the people of Bahrain." In response to these statements, Abdullah Abdulatif Abdullah, Bahrain's Deputy Foreign Minister, said that Khamenei's remarks "contain clear incitement and indicate his clear intent to stir up disputes and ignite the flames of tensions in the region." Bahrain has repeatedly accused the Iranian government of interfering in its internal affairs and, in this context, last month summoned its ambassador from Tehran in protest against Khamenei's comments and requested the Iranian representation to leave Bahrain. Relations between Bahrain and Iran have soured since 2011 when anti-government protests in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, were primarily initiated by Shiites. Since then, Bahrain has repeatedly accused the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards of training and equipping "terrorists" for operations in the country. Recently, a court in Bahrain sentenced 12 Shiites to life imprisonment and stripped them of their citizenship for allegedly forming a "terrorist group" and "attacking police with explosives." Previously, on November 14, five Bahraini Shiites were sentenced to life imprisonment and stripped of their citizenship for allegedly spying for Iran. In this context, Bahrain reported the arrest of 47 members of a "terrorist group linked to Iran." The Bahraini Foreign Minister stated that the threat from Iran is no less than that from ISIS.