Tale of Iran’s meddling affair traced to the 80’s

US newspaper clipping in 1981 throws light into Iran’s bid to destabilise Bahrain

Manama

 A rare newspaper clipping posted by a Western research scholar on social media has highlighted Iran’s continuous plots to destabilise Bahrain. The clipping supports the fact that Iran has been trying to destabilise the Kingdom for over three decades. 

The clipping is published by a newspaper, Lodi News Sentinel, and that it dates back to December 19, 1981. The 134-year-old newspaper is being published from Californian city of Lodi in the US. 

The report of the newspaper stated about Bahrain’s recalling of Ambassador for Iran in 1981, after Iran tried to plan a coup in Bahrain. The report also spoke about Saudi’s allegations on Iran. At that time Saudi Arabia said that Iran had designs on its territory and that Saudi leaders planned a security cooperation agreement with Bahrain. 

According to the report, Bahrain had also asked Iran to replace its Ambassador to Manama, as he had links with the subversion group. 

The report also highlighted the successful capture of 60 people by Bahraini police. “The plotters told police they were trained in Iran,” said the report, highlighting Iran’s old habit of meddling with Bahrain’s affairs.

Referring to a Bahraini Arabic daily, the report had said that Bahraini authorities seized quantities of arms, including machine guns and hand grenades. 

The clipping of the three-decade-old newspaper copy surfaced on social media immediately after a US scholar highlighted Iran’s ploys against Bahrain. The scholar in his column for America’s monthly magazine Commentary said that Iran had sought to co-opt Bahraini unrest to its own purposes.

“The younger generation of Bahraini activists may not realise how Iran is using them, but the result is the same,” he wrote in the column.