Bahraini Opposition Divided Over Normalization With Iran

A recent agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations is also preparing the ground for Iran and Bahrain to normalize relations. While one outlawed Bahraini opposition group has welcomed normalizing ties with Iran, another is maintaining its hard-line stance against the Khalifa monarchy.

• March 10: Abbas Golroo, the chair of Iran’s Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, in a tweet announced his arrival in Manama to participate in the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an annual conference of national parliaments. Commenting on Iranian-Bahraini ties, Tasnim News quoted Golroo as having said: “The horizon of relations between the two states is bright.”
• March 12: Al-Wefaq, a banned Bahraini Shia Islamist political society, in a statement quoted by Tasnim News, welcomed the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia and expressed optimism about the potential of both countries to help solve the political crisis in Bahrain.
• March 13: The February 14 Youth Coalition, which Bahrain and several other Arab states have designated a terrorist organization, in a statement quoted by Tasnim News, asked the Inter-Parliamentary Union to address human rights issues in Bahrain.
• March 19: Elham Azad, a member of the parliamentary delegation that attended the Inter-Parliamentary Union, said, as quoted by Tasnim News: “The speaker of the Bahraini Council of Representatives said that he is engaged in the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Bahrain and the embassies will soon reopen.”
• March 21: Taadol newspaper quoted Erem News’ interview with Abdul Nabi Salman, the first deputy speaker of the Bahraini Council of Representatives, who reportedly said: “We are following the Iran-Saudi Arabia agreement closely, and within the next two months, the goals, sincerity, and goodwill of Iran concerning the region will be clear. If the Iranians are serious in this regard, the government and nation of Bahrain and all the Gulf Arab states will welcome it … Manama has no reservation concerning the resumption of relations with Tehran apart from our sovereignty … which is not up for haggling.”
• March 25: The Islamic Republic News Agency, quoting Arabic coverage from Russia’s state-owned Sputnik News, reported that an Iranian Foreign Ministry delegation visited Manama. The reported visit was prior to the March 10 Inter-Parliamentary Union conference. Quoting unnamed “Bahraini sources,” the report claimed that there would be additional visits by Iranian delegations after President Ebrahim Raisi’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia.

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