TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Bahreini counter part Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa on Friday stated that Iran and Bahrain enjoy amicable relations.

In a press conference in Tehran, the two sides rejected any kind of tension in relations between the two countries.
Ties between the two countries were apparently strained when a prominent Iranian cleric was quoted by Arab media as saying Bahrain was the 14th province of Iran until 1970.
However, Iran has reiterated that the reports on the official's remarks had been misunderstood and misinterpreted.
Mottaki pointed out that Iran-Bahrain ties are based on “mutual respect” and that some states would naturally be jealous of Tehran-Manama relations.
“The general policy of The Islamic Republic of Iran calls for the establishment and fortification of good relations with the Persian Gulf countries,” he noted.
Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Bahrain's King Hamad were actively involved in clearing the misunderstanding, he added.
The Bahraini foreign minister said, “We have faith in Iran’s approach towards Bahrain and we will expand our relations with Iran more than ever before.”
The officials from the two countries have wisely responded to what has been circulating over the past few days, he added.
Iran is friend and brother of all regional countries
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday said that Iran is “friend and brother of all regional countries”, stressing that Iran is firm to expand relations with regional and Muslim countries.
In a meeting with the Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa, Ahmadinejad pointed out that Iran regards Bahrain’s progress as its own.
The remarks come as ties between the two countries were apparently strained when a former Iranian official was quoted by Arab media as saying Bahrain was the 14th province of Iran until 1970.
However, Iran has reiterated that the reports on the former official's remarks had been misunderstood and misinterpreted.
Al-khalifa arrived in Iran on Friday on an official visit to deliver a letter from Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the current king of Bahrain, to President Ahmadinejad.
Iran and Bahrain should be aware that some bullying powers in different parts of the world attempt to damage the relations between the two countries, Ahmadinejad noted.
However, the enemies have become weak and therefore “cooperation and friendship” between the two nations will leave no room for conspiracies, he added.
Al-Khalifa delivered the Bahraini king’s message of “friendship and brotherhood” to Ahmadinejad.
The minister pointed out that expansion of relations with Iran is of “great significance” both to the government of Bahrain and its nation.