Two days after the U.S.-Iran agreement, a senior conservative voice in Tehran has revived an unusual claim over Bahrain. Hussein Shariatmadari, editor of Kayhan and one of the Iranian establishment’s best-known spokesmen, published an article arguing that Bahrain should be brought back under Iranian sovereignty.
Shariatmadari wrote that Bahrain “belongs to Iran,” that separating it from Iran was illegal, and that the island kingdom’s residents see themselves as Iranian. He added that many of them want to rejoin their “original homeland,” and said, “This demand should not be left unanswered.”
His remarks come amid rising concern in Israel and Gulf states that the agreement signed by Washington and Tehran will strengthen Iran’s regional position and deliver major political and economic gains without addressing what they see as Iran’s broader threats. The backlash has been especially strong in Gulf capitals.
Bahrain has been on the front line of Iran-related tensions in recent years. During this year’s regional war, the kingdom also came under attacks attributed to Iran, and it is among the Arab states that have accused Tehran of undermining regional stability.