Fars News Republishes Kayhan Daily’s 2007 Incendiary Editorial on Bahrain

Iran’s state-censored media reacted angrily to the Gulf Cooperation Council Ministerial Council’s declaration of support to the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa islands on September 7. There were, however, different degrees of anger, ranging from the Foreign Ministry spokesman’s semidiplomatic statements to Fars News Agency, which republished Kayhan Daily’s 2007 incendiary editorial on Bahrain. In 2007, the piece did nothing but alienate Iran’s Arab neighbors, and by republishing it, Fars News cannot reasonably expect a different outcome.   

• September 8: Nasser Kanani, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said, “the three islands are an eternal and inseparable part of the Iranian territory.” He warned, “The destructive and seditious policies of the United States and the Zionist regime as well as miscalculation of certain regional states to allow for outsiders’ interference in the security equations of West Asia are the main causes of instability in the region.” Turning to the GCC member states, Kanani said: “It is very unfortunate that certain council member states insist on their old and tedious statements as well as blame game instead of taking responsibility and rectifying their failed and ineffective policies.” Concluding his remarks, Kanani welcomed the return of the Kuwaiti and Emirati ambassadors to Tehran and continuation of dialogue with Saudi Arabia. 
• September 8: Fars News Agency wrote that the GCC Ministerial Council’s statement resembles the 2007 statement and republished Kayhan Daily Editor Hossein Shariatmadari’s July 9, 2007 editorial, in which he not only argued the three islands belong to Iran, but added: “Today, the main demand of the people of Bahrain is return of this province, which was severed from Iran, back to its original and maternal land, meaning Islamic Iran. This, obviously, is the incontrovertible right of Iran and the right of the people of the severed province, which must and cannot be ignored.” 

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