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Is Iran going to test Obama?

hypocritexposer

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Bahrain Suspends Iran Gas Deal over ‘Sovereignty’ Comments
Written by The Media Line Staff
Published Thursday, February 19, 2009

Bahrain has recalled a team overseeing a major gas deal with Iran following comments made by an Iranian official that questioned Bahrain’s sovereignty.

Last week, ‘Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, an adviser to Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, claimed Bahrain was Iran’s 14th province.

In protest, Bahrain recalled a team overseeing an agreement signed last October which outlines the export of 28 million cubic meters of gas each year from Iran to Bahrain.

Also, the Bahraini foreign minister summoned the Iranian ambassador to Bahrain in protest.

Nouri’s comments were not the first such remarks made by Iran.

Similar comments have been made by Iranian lawmakers in the past, and in 2007 an editorial in an Iranian newspaper also claimed that Bahrain belonged to Iran.

At the time, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Bahrain to defuse the crisis.

The spat has caused regional powers to throw their weight behind Bahrain in this dispute.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was in Bahrain on Monday and Jordan’s King ‘Abdallah II was there on Wednesday in what observers believe were visits aimed at expressing solidarity with Manama, Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia has also been outspoken in support of Bahrain.

A Saudi official said the comments were irresponsible and were only meant to “defy historical and geographical facts,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The expressions of support can be seen in the wider context of Iran positioning itself as a nuclear power in the Middle East. Sunni powers in the region are not happy with the prospect of a nuclear Iran.


Also, most Gulf countries are allies of the U.S., Iran’s arch rival, and Bahrain plays a special role in this respect as it hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet.
These countries are also concerned about what they see as an increasing negative Iranian role in the region, especially in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

Bahrain is ruled by Sunnis, but similar to Iran it has a Shi’ite majority.

Copyright © 2008 The Media Line. All Rights Reserved.
 
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