‘Iran will make every effort to defuse crisis in Bahrain’

TEHRAN, April 20 (MNA) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has said that Tehran will make every effort to help end the crisis in Bahrain and certain other regional countries that have been experiencing pro-democracy protests.

Iran will do everything in its power in support of efforts intended to end the violent crackdown on protesters in regional countries, particularly Bahrain, Mehmanparast stated during his weekly press briefing on Tuesday.

Pursuing developments unfolding in regional countries is on Iran’s foreign policy agenda, he added.

However, international forums shoulder greater responsibility for resolving the situation in the region and must take serious and practical measures in this regard, Mehmanparast stated.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he criticized the United States and its European allies for the double-standard approaches they have adopted toward developments in the region.

He also urged the Organization of the Islamic Conference not to remain silent about the developments in the region and to take serious action in support of the legitimate demands of the people.


12 Iranian engineers abducted in Afghanistan are alive

Replying to a question about the situation of 12 Iranian engineers who were abducted in Afghanistan on Monday in the western province of Farah, which is located about 700 kilometers from Kabul, Mehmanparast said that the hostages are alive.

He added that the Iranian Foreign Ministry is pursuing the issue in order to obtain their release as soon as possible.

After the press briefing, it was announced that one of the Iranian engineers had been released.