Iraq opposes interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced its rejection of all forms of interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs, expressing its solidarity with Bahrain’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The announcement comes in response to statements made by some Iranian officials, according to a ministerial press release received by IraqiNews.com news agency. “Iraq regards the Kingdom of Bahrain as part of the Arab world, and a significant and influential member of the Arab League (AL)…,” read the statement. The Iranian press had quoted Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, an advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying that Iran had sovereignty over the kingdom. Gulf states called on Tehran to condemn the statements, which the Bahraini interior minister described as “irresponsible.” A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Hassan Qashqawi, said during a Tehran-based press conference yesterday that the media reports were misunderstood and misinterpreted. SS (P) 1