Bahrain Mirror-Exclusive: Spokesman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Sayyed Hossein Naqvi Hosseini, said that the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's visit to Qatar was to discuss the case of Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim and demands of Bahraini people.

Hosseini said in a statement to Mehr News Agency that Zarif visited Qatar to discuss the situation of leader of Shia sect in Bahrain Sheikh Isa Qassim, adding that Iran has always supported demands of Bahrainis. He added that Iran sees that the government of Bahrain has to listen to these demands and meet them, sit on a dialogue table with the opposition so that relations between them won't come to an end.

As for the different threats against Sheikh Qassim, Hosseini explained that executions and revocation of nationalities will not lead to government's domination over people. Iran considers it important not to harass Sheikh Qassim.

He further stated that Qatar is a neighbor country to each of Iran and Bahrain and it has influence on Bahrain. Bahrain's security is Qatar's security, thus Qatar's rulers have to take actions in this direction.

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif arrived in Qatar's capital city of Doha on Wednesday (March 8, 2017) and met his Qatari counterpart Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

It is to mention that the Bahraini authorities revoked the citizenship of Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim and referred him to trial over practicing the Khums (Shiites) ritual. A court set March 14 as a date to issue its verdict in Sheikh Isa Qassim's case.

Arabic Version