Iran Gives Bahrain's Deputy Ambassador 72 Hours to Leave Tehran

Iran has designated the deputy ambassador of Bahrain in Tehran, Bassem Dalhan Al-Dosari, as an 'undesirable element' and has given him 72 hours to leave the country. This decision came a day after the expulsion of Iran's chargé d'affaires from Manama and the recall of Bahrain's ambassador from Tehran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday, October 1, identifying the deputy ambassador. On Wednesday, October 8, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior once again accused Iran of supporting terrorism in the country, reporting the discovery of a large bomb-making workshop in a village south of Manama and the arrest of several suspects 'linked to the Quds Force' of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Bahraini government labeled Mohammad Reza Babaei, Iran's chargé d'affaires in Manama, as an 'undesirable element' and gave him 72 hours to leave the country, while simultaneously recalling its ambassador from Tehran. Bahrain's official complaint against Iran to the United Nations was also reported on Friday by the state news agency, stating that Manama had filed a complaint against Tehran for interfering in its internal affairs. According to the report, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Foreign Minister, submitted a formal complaint to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In this complaint, Iran is accused of 'clear and ongoing violations of international law through unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and failure to adhere to the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect.' During the meeting, the Bahraini Foreign Minister accused Iran of 'attempting to extend its influence over neighboring countries through interference in their internal affairs, using extremist groups, harboring terrorists fleeing justice, establishing bases for training terrorist groups, and trafficking weapons and explosives, thus choosing the path of escalating tensions.' Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa continued that Iran's actions 'put the lives of citizens, residents of Bahrain, and security forces at risk. The criminal actions resulting from Iran's policies have so far left 16 security personnel dead and three thousand injured.' He referred to Bahrain's recent decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with Iran, stating, 'Therefore, Bahrain had no choice but to decide to recall its ambassador from the Islamic Republic of Iran and identify the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Manama as an undesirable character to better ensure the security of the country and its citizens and protect its interests.' The Bahraini Foreign Minister emphasized that Manama seeks to restore relations to a normal state, 'but first Iran must take tangible positive steps, end its policies and interference in Bahrain's internal affairs, and adhere to the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect.' Bahrain had previously summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires in protest against remarks made by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. This is not the first time Bahrain has protested against the Islamic Republic's 'interference' in its internal affairs, and it now claims to have filed a complaint against Iran with the United Nations. On July 25, the Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced that the country's security forces discovered a dangerous smuggling operation involving explosives, automatic weapons, and significant amounts of ammunition, arresting five suspects in connection with it. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior identified some of these individuals as trained and equipped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, Iran rejected these accusations, labeling them as 'fabrications' by the Bahraini government. A few years ago, Bahrain witnessed a wave of protests from the country's Shia majority, demanding political reforms. The Bahraini government accuses Iran of inciting Shia and supporting terrorist activities in the country, accusations that Tehran has consistently denied.