The monarch of Bahrain visited Moscow on May 23, expressing the desire to restore diplomatic ties with Tehran after an eight-year hiatus. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Bahrain looks forward to improving relations with Iran. Bahrain’s official news agency quoted the monarch as saying that there is no reason to delay the resumption of relations between the two countries.
The visit underscored the historical friendship between Bahrain and Russia, enhancing political, economic, and strategic cooperation. Following closed-door discussions, Putin mentioned that Moscow and Manama maintain similar positions on various international issues.
Bahrain, a small island nation in the Arabian Gulf, has traditionally been a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. While the majority of Bahrain’s population is Shiite Muslims, the ruling Al Khalifa family are Sunni Muslims. In the past, Bahrain has accused Iran of instigating unrest among its Shiite population. During the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, Bahraini security forces, with Saudi assistance, suppressed demonstrations by Shiite activists. Manama accused Iran of inciting the unrest, a claim denied by Tehran.
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Tehran after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was attacked in 2015. Last year, Saudi Arabia reestablished official relations with Iran, leaving Bahrain as the only Arab Gulf state without diplomatic ties with Tehran.
On the international front, Bahrain hosted an Arab League summit focused on Israel’s Gaza offensive. The Arab bloc called for the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to Gaza and supported a Bahraini proposal for an international conference on the Israel-Palestine conflict based on a two-state solution. During the visit to Moscow, King Al Khalifa briefed Putin on the summit’s outcome and requested Russian help in organizing the proposed peace conference.
Moscow has yet to respond to the proposal, but both countries agreed to enhance cooperation across various domains. Russia has consistently supported a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, aligning with relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed Russia’s stance as the legal successor to the Soviet Union, maintaining a transparent position on the issue. Please rephrase this sentence.
Source link
