By Hussein Mahmoud
CAIRO (AA) – Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, speaking at a joint press conference with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday evening, accused Iran of interfering in his country’s affairs and reiterated calls for a “joint Arab force” to counter perceived regional threats.
“Bahrain faces direct interference from Iran,” the king asserted at the press conference.
The Bahraini monarch arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with al-Sisi and Egyptian officials.
“Bahrain supports the creation of a joint Arab force with a view to countering the threats facing us all,” King Hamad said, going on to call for bolstering military cooperation between his country and Egypt.
Al-Sisi, for his part, voiced Egypt’s support for Bahrain’s calls to counter perceived foreign interference in the region.
“Relations between Egypt and Bahrain represent a force against… [foreign] interference in the internal affairs [of the countries of the region],” he declared.
Sunni-Muslim Arab Gulf monarchies have long accused Shia Iran of interfering in their domestic affairs — claims denied by Tehran.
Earlier Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Egypt and Bahrain — after meeting in Cairo — also called for stepped-up Arab solidarity in the face of what they described as growing Iranian influence in the region.
Last year, the chiefs-of-staff of Arab national armies agreed to establish a joint Arab military force — an idea first proposed by Egypt at an Arab summit held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
At the time, Arab leaders had said that the proposed force would be mandated with “protecting Arab security” and “fighting terrorism”.
