BAHRAIN: Spat erupts with Iran over cleric's boast

A huge spat has broken out between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain over comments made by an Iranian cleric earlier this month claiming dominion over the island nation.

Ali Akbar Natiq Nuri, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed Bahrain was an integral part of Iran that was conceded by Iran's Shah Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi. Bahrain received its independence from the British in 1971, but had been ruled by Iran on and off over the last couple of millenniums. 

Bahrain made it crystal clear that it did not tolerate any statements undermining its sovereignty. In the last few days, Bahrain suspended talks over the importation of natural gas from the Islamic Republic and barred Iranian ships from reaching its shores, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Iranians backtracked by reaffirming their full recognition of Bahraini sovereignty.

But the recent row between Manama and Tehran is deeply rooted. Bahrain is a predominantly Muslim Shiite nation ruled by a minority of Sunni Muslims. This small Arab state, which relies on tourism from more conservative neighboring countries, regularly accuses Iranians of stirring up opposition in the ranks of Bahraini Shiites.

Government opposition figures in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, regularly assert that authorities have been clamping down on the political rights of Shiites in the country. Sectarian violence is repeatedly reported in Bahrain.

The German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported Friday that Iranian shipping vessels had been asked to leave Bahraini territorial waters. A Bahraini official who spoke on condition of anonymity told DPA that “no Iranian vessel will be allowed in until further notice.”

This comes after Bahrain decided to halt negotiations to import 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day from Iran through a new pipeline.

Bahraini newspaper Al Ayam wrote recently that, "the decision … shows Bahrain's vexation with the [Iranian] claims regarding Bahrain that are affecting bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas, mainly energy and economy.”

Iranian officials tried to underplay earlier comments in apparent attempts to save the lucrative gas deal with Bahrain. Iran’s envoy to Bahrain, Hussein Amir Abdullahyan, asserted on Friday that Iran was looking to strengthen relations with its neighbors, according to the Iranian Press TV website.

Abdullahyan stressed that Bahrain is an independent country and that is the official stand of the Islamic Republic, the website said.

Bahrain may have no choice but to eventually make amends. The reason: It's got no natural gas, and its gas-rich Arab neighbors have already committed their supplies to other countries. Bahrain needs Iran to keep its industries running.

-- Raed Rafei in Beirut

Photo: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left) shakes hands with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa during a meeting in Tehran on Dec. 25. Credit: Atta Kenare AFP/Getty Images

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Comments

[Masood Khan]

We should not forget the Shiite Iranian role against the Sunni Ottoman Turks. The Safawi Shiite Iran was not only a threat to the sunnis outside Irani but within Iran, the Safawis continued with their onslaught against the Sunnis and either murdered those who did not accept Shiism or expelled others.

Today, Iran is vocal in destabilizing the whole of the Islamic World. It helped United States in overthrowing two of the radical Sunni regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And furthermore, the Shias in Iran are focusing on Bahrain, Lebanon and Palestinian Territories.

The Sunnis must wake Up! Now.

[Iran'sbahrain]

We want our territory, poor or rich, doesn't matter. It's part of Iranian identity indeed, and it's not about material wealth. If it’s the poorest island in the Persian Gulf, then, it should be less problematic in terms of the superficial fear that some Arab states are trying to inject.

[Ahmed Al-Mutawa]

It is a fact that Bahrain belonged to Iran. How can the Bahraini monarchy deny this? The biggest proof that majority of Mahrainis are not even Arab is their Arabic accent....sounds like Persian-Arabic accent. Either way why would Iran want poor Bahrain anyways? What does this tiny Persian Gulf state have that Iran could possibly want? Bahrain is the poorest GCC state.

[Iran'sbahrain]

ABC,

why do you go far back to the Greek era. Let's say, as the Sasanaid conquered the Roman empire, then the whole Roman territory to be part of Iran. What I said was not for a short invasion, neither like Greek's invasion of Iran, nor Persian invasion of east Roman empire, rather a credible continuity of administration of a land by Iran.

We don't care about few controversial figures’ comments. and it's not about religion either. It's about land that has been for Iran over the course of history. Once they get back to Iran, within few years, that false identity, injected by oil money, can be returned back to its true face. This is in the best interest of those people living in Iran’s 31th province in Bahrain. and who said just Persian identity? it's indeed Iranian identity that covers a large segment of races from Persian to Azeri, Kurd, Baluch and even Iranian Arabs. So, if you look at that way, you won't see any paradox even in terms of the definition of identity.

Why referendum? There is no reason for a country to make referendum in once of its provinces that has been ruling for millennia. The west better do that in Bask, Scotland, Quebec…

[ABC]

Raed Rafei and the above posters are unaware of what kicked off the spat: it wasn't Nateq Nouri's comments but the main Bahrain Shia opposition party, Al Wefaq, which in early February rejected claims by an Iranian MP, Darioush Ghanbari, who said that if Bahrainis could choose in a referendum they'd vote to be part of Iran. Al Wefaq described Ghanbari's views as "ignorant" and "sick" and as an "absolutely unacceptable chauvinistic". Nateq Nouri's comments came in response to Al Wefaq's.

Al Wefaq's statement merely re-emphasizes what anyone who knows anything about Bahrain already understands: Shia does not equal Persian. Bahraini Shia Arabs get super pissed if people think they're fifth columnists for Iran, and rightly so. They've got their own interests, identity and agenda.

As for the claim above that because Bahrain was once under Iran's empire it should revert to Iranian rule, that's an interesting principle. If it's good for Bahrain then surely it's good for Iran too: anyone for Iran to be under Greek rule again?

[Iran'sbahrain]

Bahrain, the 31th province of Iran, should be returned to its mother land; Iran to be administered by Tehran. It has been that way throughout the history of Persia and it's also in the best interest of the majority of people who live in the Iranian island named Bahrain. The puppet ruling regime of the island has to be brought to the reality of today’s Persian gulf region.

[Sam]

Seriously? You think Iran cares what Bahrain thinks? If it wasn't for the US 5th Fleet even you wouldn't know what Bahrain is. Also, it's a FACT that Bahrain was a part of Iran. Those majority Shias are Iranians not Arabs. The island was taken by force by the British. The current ruling family of Bahrain would not win a single election if they had the courage to let the people of Bahrain vote freely. The so called "royal" family of Bahrain has no legitimacy. Iran should not sell them gas nor trade with them. Let the Island sink.

[Javad]

These Persian Gulf Arab monarchies are gem, all of these corrupt royal families were selected by British to rule over their respected population in last century when even western societies were electing their own government officials through voting system, if Arab people could have voted on whom they want to elect for their government posts, they wouldn't make their countries in to military base for foreigners, they wouldn't lease their unrenewable resources to foreign corporations for percentage of profit, they wouldn't recycle majority of their revenue on expensive armaments from foreigners which they never had/have a use for them since western cavalry will be there to protect their oil fields no matter if they ask for it or not.
Bahrain ruler Sheiks support their UAE cousins claim over few Iranian island in Persian Gulf and calling Persian Gulf as Arabian Gulf against international rules, but yet their fellow Arab monarch cousins wouldn't supply them with gas and oil and yet they get upset when few unofficial Iranians reminding them of their history and culture which precedes these recently came across some money kings by few thousand years, now that's rich!

[Kiumars]

Iran is a net importer of gas and still has shortage of gas at home! Iran should not be selling gas to anyone until it produces enough for internal use. The contracts with Crescent (UAE) for 0.6 billion cf/d was a big mistake too.

I certainly hope that Ali Akbar Natiq Nuri has engineered this event to stop the deal going thru. There will be riots on the streets if Iran exports gas to others when its own people die of cold in winter (like last year when Turkmenistan cut off the gas)!