WANA (Aug 01) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei responded on Saturday to recent remarks by the King of Bahrain, reaffirming Iran’s commitment to good neighborliness while strongly criticizing Manama’s foreign policy alignment.

 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Baghaei addressed statements reportedly made by the Bahraini monarch, who had urged Iran to refrain from attacking Bahrain out of gratitude for Islam—introduced by Arabs—bringing spiritual depth to Iran.

 

Baghaei countered that Iran is an ancient civilization that embraced Islam and went on to become a cornerstone of Islamic civilization across jurisprudence, philosophy, medicine, mathematics, and literature.

 

He emphasized that in Islam, superiority is determined by piety, not Arabic language or proximity to the Arabian Peninsula, citing Quranic verse Al-Hujurat: 13.

 

“No ruler has the right to use speaking Arabic as a pretext to claim representation of the Prophet’s mission or replace true adherence to Islamic teachings,” Baghaei stated.

 

He added that Iran has consistently prioritized good neighborliness and Islamic brotherhood—even when dealing with what he characterized as a young regime ruling a territory historically detached from Iran.

 

Baghaei severely criticized Manama for hosting foreign military bases and aligning with external forces against neighboring Muslim nations, citing Quranic prohibitions against aiding aggressors.

 

He questioned whether hosting adversaries and backing military aggression against a Muslim neighbor aligns with Islamic fraternity, concluding that “the answer is clearly stated in the Holy Quran, confirmed by the Sunnah, and attested to by the conscience of the Islamic Ummah.”