Iran Focus: Dubai, Jul. 06 In an interview with the Kuwaiti news agency, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) today sharply criticised Irans Foreign Ministry for using threatening language against GCC member Bahrain following the publication of a caricature in a Bahraini daily mocking Irans Supreme Leader. Iran Focus
Dubai, Jul. 06 In an interview with the Kuwaiti news agency, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) today sharply criticised Irans Foreign Ministry for using threatening language against GCC member Bahrain following the publication of a caricature in a Bahraini daily mocking Irans Supreme Leader.
The caricature depicted Irans Ayatollah Ali Khamenei next to the results chart for Irans presidential elections and appeared in last Thursdays issue of the daily Al-Ayam. It has since led to a diplomatic spat between Iran and Bahrain.
Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said in his weekly press conference, “The countries of this region must know that they will suffer more than us from this kind of action as the capabilities of different countries are not of the same magnitude”.
Iran also recalled its ambassador from Manama.
Such remarks by this official [Asefi”> have no correlation with logic or political principals governing relations between states, Abdur-Rahman Al-Atiya, Secretary-General of the GCC, said today.
He said the Iranian Foreign Ministrys position ran contrary to the principle of freedom of expression, which is the primary wish of the Iranian people.
In an interview with the state-run student news service, ISNA, Asefi lashed back. I recommend to Mr. Al-Attiyah to first of all read the clear text of the remarks and then comment upon them, since an experienced diplomat acting on brains should first of all read the primary source [of the comments”>.
