Saudis Losing Credibility in Bahrain

The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denied media reports that Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was trying to start talks with Saudi officials over the political crises spreading across the region.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - “Iran’s condition for holding talks with Saudi Arabia is that that country withdraw its troops from Bahrain. As long as Saudi forces do not leave Bahrain and the Saudis do not end their attitude towards Bahrain, there would be no justification for holding talks with Riyadh,” Amir Hussein Abdollahian, the director of the ministry’s Persian Gulf and Middle East Department said.

Iran would welcome normal ties with Saudi Arabia but it does not necessarily mean that talks could or should be held by overlooking ground realities in the region, he added.

“This does not mean that we block dialogue with Riyadh. There are different ways to exchange views and tell our Saudi friends that their Bahrain policy has faults and undermines its credibility.”

After the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, the people of Bahrain revolted against the pro-Western Al-Khalifa ruling family.

In March, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait dispatched troops to Bahrain to help the government quell the anti-government protests.

Dozens have been so far killed and hundreds are declared missing. International human rights organizations have denounced the atrocious clampdown on Bahraini people and dissidents; however, the situation has not yet changed.

Abdollahian said for Iran regional stability, advancement of regional peoples and institutionalization of freedom at the regional level are key issues.

“In his recent trips to the region the foreign minister discussed Western hostility and its double standards. Most of America’s moves (in the region) are in stark contradiction with popular demands,” the official said.

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