TEHRAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian official said on Friday that Bahrain has requested to normalize relations with Iran after an eight-year diplomatic freeze.
Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs, made the remarks in a live televised interview, while commenting on the incumbent administration's foreign policy.
He said Bahrain had sent a direct message to Iran asking for the resumption of bilateral relations and made the same request in a meeting with Russia.
According to the Bahrain News Agency, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May that there was no reason to postpone the resumption of ties between his country and Iran.
The king added that Bahrain was looking forward to improving its relations with Iran, said the report.
In 2016, Bahrain severed diplomatic relations with Iran following Saudi Arabia's decision to cut ties with Tehran. The move came in response to attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran, which occurred after the execution of a Shiite cleric by Saudi Arabia.
In March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a groundbreaking agreement in China to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and missions. The two countries formally declared in April of last year the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect. ■
