Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's ambassador to Washington Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa (son of the Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs) defended, in a statement to an Israeli newspaper on Thursday (May 10, 2018), the Israeli strikes on Syria saying that "no country would tolerate aggression of any kind".

The ambassador added to "The Jerusalem Post" newspaper that "As Iran chooses to carry acts of aggression against others, nations retain the right to take considerable calculated measures to protect their national security interests, and that includes Israel. The right to self-defense is inherent."

This comment came in support for a statement for Bahrain's foreign minister on the same day through a tweet that read "As long as Iran continues the current status quo of its forces and rockets operating in the region, any country - including Israel - has the right to defend itself by eliminating the source of danger."

This statement stirred a wave of reactions and was considered a Bahraini recognition of Israel as a "state" that has "right to defend itself". This is considered an unprecedented stance on the Arab States level. The Israeli newspaper considered this statement another evidence that Bahrain continues to play a leadership role by publicly engaging the" Jewish state".

The ambassador further stated that "The Iranian regime can no longer be allowed to continue its business as usual by persistently attempting to undermine the regional security structure and seek its ultimate aspiration as a perpetual exporter of the revolution."

Arabic Version