Bahrain, with wise leadership and strong solidarity, successfully counters Iran’s terrorism

Manama, July 4 (BNA): Over the past four decades, Bahrain and many other Arab countries have had to deal with aggressive Iranian interference in their internal affairs through dangerous practices aimed at undermining their security and stability, stirring up sedition, sectarian unrest and tensions, and establishing, financing, and arming terrorist organizations. The Iranian interference has been occurring in flagrant violation of all religious and moral values, the principles of good-neighborliness and international norms, laws, agreements and covenants. Since the first days of the Khomeini regime in 1979, Iran has revealed its new identity as the largest state sponsor of terrorism, extremism and armed militias in the region and the world. It has unveiled its aggressive and expansionist nature as a rogue state with threats to the security of Bahrain and the Arabian Gulf using security, military, intelligence, media, and political sabotage as tools. It has continued its occupation of the three UAE islands and plotted to export terrorism, create chaos and to disturb state security as the Iranian regime lives only on inciting strife and unrest, guided by the terrorist Revolutionary Guard and its satellites in the Arab region. Iran’s interference in the Bahraini affairs has increased since 2011, following two previous failed attempts in the 1980s and 1990s. The Iranian regime has expanded its aggressive policy, plots and false claims targeting Bahrain and its sovereignty and independence. It has supported terrorist militias with weapons and explosives and incited them to commit all forms of violence, sabotage and terrorism, that reached more than 29,000 in nearly ten years, resulting in the death of 35 civilians and security men, the injury and permanent disabilities to 3,500 and the sabotage of many public and private installations and property, including power stations, telecommunications towers, educational and banking institutions, roads and highways. The Bahraini security services have succeeded in breaking several espionage and terrorist cells, groups and networks linked to Iran, arresting terrorists who have received training in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah terrorist camps in Lebanon and Iraq, discovering warehouses of weapons and explosives, and busting operations to smuggle weapons, ammunition and highly explosive devices. The security services also thwarted criminal plans to sabotage, kill and terrorize innocent people and attempts to overthrow and change the state political system through the use of force, disrupt the law, target economic and vital installations and recruit and train terrorists. All these crimes are well-documented and legal measures have been taken in their regard. On the media front, Iran has continued through more than 40 satellite channels it owns or funds and many websites and suspicious accounts on social media its destructive role in spreading toxins of strife and religious and racial hatred, disseminating aggressive and provocative speeches to incite chaos, tension and division in Bahrain and Arab countries, undermining security and stability, recruiting terrorists and training them on making explosives and bombs. Iran has expanded its threat to Arab national security through its interference in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, its support of the Houthi militia in Yemen, suppling them with weapons, ballistic missiles and drones to attack neighboring countries. Iran’s threats also included terrorist attacks on oil installations and targeting civilians and holy religious sites in Saudi Arabia, violations of the UN Security Council resolutions regarding the arms embargo on the Houthi militia, undermining of regional safety and threatening energy security, shipping routes and global trade in the Arab region and the world, which was confirmed by the report of the United Nations Secretary-General on June 30 that held Iran directly responsible for terrorist acts that targeted two Saudi Aramco factories and Abha International Airport last year. In its Country Reports on Terrorism, the U.S. State Department in May 2020 said that “since coming to power in 1979, the Iranian regime has been implicated in assassinations, terrorist plots, and terrorist attacks in more than 40 countries.” “Senior Iranian officials have declared that Iran follows and constantly surveils Iranian dissidents in other countries to “crack down on them” and “strike decisive blows,” the report said. “Iran’s global campaign of terror has included as many as 360 targeted assassinations in other countries, and mass bombing attacks that killed and maimed hundreds. Iran engaged in these assassinations and other attacks primarily through the IRGC-Qods Force and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, but also via third parties and proxies such as Hizballah. “Iranian diplomatic personnel have repeatedly been implicated in assassinations abroad, as evidenced by arrest warrants, judicial and police investigations, intelligence services, and witness reports. “As Iranian assassins using diplomatic cover have attracted increased scrutiny, Iran has showed willingness to use criminal gangs, drug cartels, and other third parties to carry out its assassination plots abroad. Iran consistently lies about its involvement in killings abroad, even when its own diplomatic personnel are caught surveilling attack targets, providing explosives or fleeing crime scenes.” The Mullahs regime has been squandering the wealth of its people on its aggressive and sectarian conspiracies under the pretext of supporting the “oppressed peoples” as stipulated in Article 154 of its constitution and spending well over $100 billion on its nuclear program, measured in lost foreign investment and oil revenue, according to a study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This is another crime that can be added to its crimes against humanity, especially with the majority of the Iranians suffering from injustice, persecution and oppression with 40% under the poverty line. Inflation has spiked to 41% and the currency has lost more than 75% of its value since 2018, according to Iranian official and parliament reports. The economic growth potential has decreased and around 2.6 million people have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus, a situation that is compounded by a declining and fragile health infrastructure. Based on such premises, and keen on the interests of all Arab and Islamic peoples, including the Iranian people, and their rights to live in safety and peace and to use their wealth in economic and social development, Bahrain is keen on bolstering Arab, Islamic and international efforts to counter the terrorism of the Iranian regime. The international community and the Security Council should take resolute steps to deter and confront Iran so that it changes its criminal approach that violates all international covenants and laws. Bahrain aspires to normal relations with Iran based on the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs, and the need to resolve disputes by peaceful means and constructive dialogue and to make the Arabian Gulf region and the Middle East free of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. Bahrain has highlighted this rational approach during its participation in the GCC-U.S. and the and the Arab-Islamic-American summits in Riyadh on May 21, 2017 that declared their total rejection of the Iranian regime's attempts to undermine security and stability and its aggressive interference in the region and the world. Successive Arab summits have declared their support of the measures taken by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to protect their security, and condemned the aggressive Iranian attempts to destabilize security and spread sectarian strife. This was also confirmed by the Arab Quartet Ministerial Committee to follow up on the developments of the crisis with Iran on the sidelines of the Arab Ministerial Meeting in Cairo on March 4, 2020 as it fully condemned Iran’s terrorism. Bahrain has affirmed its support for the U.S. strategy to counter the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime in the region and the world. In their June 29 joint statement, Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif Al Zayani and Special Representative for Iran and Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State Brian Hook, said that Bahrain and the U.S. share a strong and enduring commitment to countering Iranian aggression. The two countries said that in recognizing the grave threat posed by Iranian arms transfers in the region, and in Bahrain specifically, they call upon the United Nations Security Council to extend the arms embargo on Iran. They stressed that the embargo is an important tool to counter Iran’s proliferation of arms to proxies, promotes greater regional stability and holds Iran accountable for its actions. They warned that if the international community fails to extend the embargo, Bahrain and neighboring partners will suffer the consequences of a destabilizing arms race. They insisted that the Security Council must uphold its responsibility to maintain international peace and security and extend the arms embargo on Iran. Hook advised the international community to listen to the countries of the region that refuse to lift the arms embargo as lifting it will undermine security in the region, a development that is not acceptable to the UN and is considered a breach of the United Nations Charter aiming to enhance security and stability. Bahrain, by the grace of God, and thanks to the wisdom and leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the vigilance and efficiency of its valiant security and defense agencies and the awareness and solidarity of its people, is able to counter Iranian terrorism. Bahrain will keep moving forward on the path of democracy and development, strengthening its status as an oasis of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among all religions and cultures and consolidating its active partnership with the Arab and international communities in combating extremism and terrorism for a safer and better world.