Iran’s foreign ministry has described Bahrain’s move to normalize ties with Israel as shameful, state television reported on Saturday.
“The rulers of Bahrain will from now on be complicit in the crimes of the Zionist regime, which is a threat to the security of the region and the Muslim world,” the broadcaster quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying.
Iran said on Saturday that Bahrain’s move to normalize relations with Israel meant it would be complicit in Israeli policies which threatened regional security, Iranian state TV reported.
Bahrain’s agreement, which was announced by US President Donald Trump on Friday, was partly forged because of shared wariness of Iran.
Iran’s foreign ministry said that it would hold the governments of Bahrain and its allies responsible for any insecurity caused by Israel in the Gulf region.
Additionally, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, a special adviser on international affairs to the speaker of Iran’s parliament, called the agreement a great betrayal to the Islamic cause and Palestinians.
“The imprudent leaders in UAE, #Bahrain must not pave the way for the Zionist schemes. They should learn lessons from history. Tomorrow is late! The US lifeline has worn out for years” tweeted Amir-Abdollahian, also a former deputy foreign minister.
Palestinians fear the moves by Bahrain and its fellow Gulf Arab state, the United Arab Emirates, will weaken a longstanding pan-Arab position that calls for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and acceptance of Palestinian statehood in return for normal relations with Arab countries.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the decision by Bahrain to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, adding it will deal a fresh blow to efforts to defend the Palestinian cause.
“It will further encourage Israel to continue illegitimate practices towards Palestine and its efforts to make the occupation of Palestinian lands permanent,” the ministry statement said.
Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi said in a statement on Friday, that the necessary steps to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace in the region should come from Israel.
The minister added, after the announcement of a normalization of ties between Israel and Bahrain, Israel should stop all its procedures to undermine the two-states solution, and end the illegal occupation of the Palestinian lands.
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Bahrain has become the fourth Arab country to reach an agreement with Israel, which exchanged embassies with Egypt and Jordan decades ago.
The UAE agreed to normalize ties with Israel a month ago under a US-brokered deal due to be signed on Tuesday at a ceremony hosted by Trump, who is seeking re-election on Nov. 3.
“Bahrain’s shameful move sacrifices the Palestinian cause and decades of struggle … at the expense of the US election,” Iranian TV quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying.
Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s regional headquarters. Saudi Arabia sent troops to the small island state in 2011 to help quell a largely Shi’ite Muslim uprising against the Sunni-dominated leadership.
Predominantly Shi’ite Iran and largely Sunni Saudi Arabia are bitter regional rivals.
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