The following article was published on 23 February on the Persian and Arabic sections of the Asr-e Iran news analysis website. Attributed to the site’s editor-in-chief, Jafar Mohammadi, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the Iranian perspective on the ongoing diplomatic row with Bahrain. Our translation of selected excerpts is below.
A response to the latest controversy from Arab leaders and their media: Don’t make claims on Iranian land lest you be faced with counter-claims
Asr-e Iran: The latest Arab recriminations against Iran on the Bahrain issue are the principal reason for writing this short essay that was published on both the Persian and Arabic sections of the site.
Three things can be said regarding the small state of Bahrain:
1. Denying history
It is a historical reality that, at one time, the island of Bahrain was a part of Iranian territory, the southernmost part of Iran. This is an issued that history has settled. Yet at the same time, it is possible to feign ignorance and ignore history; one might pretend that Bahrain, over the last 40-50 years, came into existence by rising up from under the sea!
2. Accepting history while rejecting the status quo
In a different view, it is possible to accept historical reality while resisting the current situation, thus saying that it is correct that Bahrain, as an independent nation, is a member of the international community,yet there was once a time when it was part of Iranian territory, and must once again re-join its motherland. It is clear that this viewpoint is not consistent with twenty-first century realism.
3. Accepting history and the status quo
Thus, we acknowledge Bahrain’s Iranian past, yet we now also officially recognize its independence, a position that both conforms to historical reality and takes the current situation into account. Continue reading ‘An Iranian Editor Responds to the Bahrain Tussle’
