Following Bahrain's protest to Khamenei, Iran summons Bahraini chargé d'affaires

After Bahrain summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires in that country to express its protest against recent statements made by Ayatollah Khamenei regarding several Arab countries, Tehran also summoned the Bahraini chargé d'affaires to convey its "strong protest." The official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, reported on May 17 that during the meeting with the Bahraini chargé d'affaires, "the necessity of correcting the behavior and statements of the Bahraini government and officials was emphasized." The report further stated that the Iranian Foreign Ministry official told the Bahraini government to "focus on the real roots of the internal problems of the country, as deflection and accusations do not help solve Bahrain's issues." No further details were provided on this matter. The latest developments in the tumultuous relations between Bahrain and Iran follow Ayatollah Khamenei's speech on Saturday, where he described the people of Yemen, Bahrain, and Palestinians as "among the oppressed nations" and added, "We will defend the oppressed as much as we can and confront the oppressor." Following this, Manama summoned Mohammad Reza Babaei, the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Bahrain. According to the official Bahraini news agency, "BNA," during a meeting that the Bahraini Deputy Foreign Minister had with the Iranian chargé d'affaires, he rejected the statements of the Islamic Republic's leader, adding that "these remarks are not only unacceptable but also a disgraceful interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain." The Bahraini Foreign Ministry stated that the remarks of the Islamic Republic's leader violate international laws, the principles of the United Nations, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation regarding respect for the independence and territorial integrity of all countries.