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PressTV: 0:07
You're watching Press TV's News Review, where we look deeper into some
of the top stories of the day. On this segment of the program, Iran and
Bahrain have agreed to start talks aimed at restoring ties. According to
a joint statement by the countries' foreign ministries, Tehran and
Manama will establish the required mechanisms to begin talks on how to
resume political relations. The statement describes Iran-Bahrain
relations as historical, saying the two countries enjoy religious bonds
and have mutual interests. It was issued after a meeting between Iran's
acting foreign minister and his Bahraini counterpart in Tehran. In early
June, the king of Bahrain expressed willingness to resume diplomatic
ties with Iran during a meeting with the Chinese president in Beijing
The king said Manama believes in the principle of good neighborliness.
Back in 2016 Bahrain followed Saudi Arabia's suit in severing ties with
Iran. Riyadh restored relations with Tehran in March, 2023.
1:10
Joining us on this edition of the News Review, we have political analyst
Mr. Ali Rizk, joining us from the Lebanese capital, Beirut; and also
independent international affairs analyst Gilbert Doctorow, joining us
from Brussels. Let's start off with Mr. Rizk in Beirut. Sir, what are
your thoughts and perspectives regarding the importance, the
significance, and the timing of this restoration of, talks of
restoration of relations between Tehran and Manama?
Ali Rizk: 1:43
Well, I think that the importance lies first and foremost in the fact
that this is a big setback for the Israeli side. Bahrain is one of those
Arab countries which did normalize ties with Israel as part of the
Abraham Accords during the Trump administration, but now ties have
resumed between Iran or are in the process, I think, of being resumed
between Iran and Bahrain. So that, I think, is a setback. as I said, to
Israel. It's also a setback to the American-led project of normalization
between Arab countries and the Israelis, that project which was started
by Donald Trump, which the Americans also want to further pursue under
the Biden administration.
2:26
Biden himself has spoken about building an Arab-Israeli alliance against
Iran. And I think-- so this development thwarts or is a setback to all
of those efforts. And I think that another important factor is the role
being played by superpowers other than the U.S. You mentioned that this
was made, or the Bahraini king spoke about this issue during a meeting
with the Chinese president. We know China's role, how it mediated
between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It appears it possibly has played a role
now between Bahrain and Iran.
And incidentally, the Bahraini king did also speak about the importance
of Iranian ties during a meeting he held with the Russian President
Vladimir Putin. So I think all of these are indicators that there are
new superpowers who are assuming a much more pivotal or important role
in the region, which is bearing fruits like the improvement or the
rapprochement which is taking place between Iran and certain Arab
countries.
PressTV: 3:32
Mr. Doctorow, a lot of important points just brought up by Mr. Risk in
Beirut. I want you to go over those and give us your thoughts as well.
This is a setback for the Israelis and for the U.S.-Israeli alliance in
the region, of course, And the role of other mediators likely being
highlighted and being brought to the fore, for example, China and Russia
when we're talking about mediating and expanding relations specifically
in the West Asia region.
Gilbert Doctorow, Ph.D.: 4:09
I would prefer not to identify one or another country, as you have done,
that is [China or Russia,] speak of the BRICS and to make a point about
what has just happened between Bahrain and Iran, giving us all an
indicator of what we may expect in the new world order that is being
developed in front of our eyes to replace the hegemonic American-led
world.
4:41
That is a world in which there are no sanctions used to marginalize
given countries and to turn them into pariahs. That has been the
American policy with respect to Iran, xx xxxxx to turn. It is now the
American policy with respect to Russia -- to cut these countries off
from world trade and from world diplomacy, and thereby get the upper
hand over them. This policy has been reversed and has been overturned in
the case of Iran by its joining BRICS as a full member, and I think
that gives a lot of stability within the region and certainly reinforces
moderation and restraint and good-neighborly relations as a dominant
policy in today's Iran.
5:42
We saw this policy flowering under your leader, Raisi, who was
unfortunately killed in this helicopter crash, but it is now, it's clear
from the latest news, that this policy of developing relations with the
neighborhood and of being integrated into the region and into the world
at large is a policy that Iran is pursuing successfully and to the
benefit of everyone.
PressTV: 6:13
Right. Mr. Rizk, do you agree with that? Is this what we're seeing right
now, a continuation of one of the main fundamental aspects of the late
President Raisi's foreign policy push, which was expanding friendly
relations with neighboring countries, specifically in the region?
Ali Rizk:
That's a very good point. Indeed, I think this is a continuation of that
policy which focuses on building ties with countries of the region and
also building ties with the Eastern Bloc, with China and Russia. I
mentioned how the Chinese and the Russians may be facilitating the
rapprochement between Iran and certain Arab countries with or where the
bilateral ties had witnessed deterioration, particularly during the
Trump era.
7:03
So yes, it is a continuation, and I think that establishes a firm policy
on the part of Iran, which I believe will continue regardless of who
the leader or the new president will be, which is basically to focus on
the immediate neighborhood, to put more hope or to put more weight on
ties with the eastern countries or with the eastern bloc without closing
the door completely to ties with the west or to improving ties with the
west, as long as the west shows some good intentions.
So yes, I think we are witnessing an ongoing or continuation of that
policy focusing on fostering better ties with the immediate
neighborhood.
PressTV: 7:46
And Mr. Doctorow, do you see this setting a precedent for further rapprochements in the future as well?
Doctorow:
Well, I think it definitely does. And I think what we see in a new world
order, and this is typical of what news you have brought today
regarding Iran and Bahrain, is regionalization. Now, on the global
level, there will be a new "board of directors" which is more equally
weighted than the G7 or the G20, and which represents the real balance
of power and influence of the world in a fair way, recognizing the
sovereignty of all member states.
8:28
And that's at the global level. At the same time, there will be more
regionalization, more individual problems between states resolved at the
level of their neighborhood and not by some diktat from a remote
superpower which has its own interests in play. So, these two
developments, I think, will go on in parallel and spell the future of
the world as it's freed from the American diktat.
PressTV: 9:02
Thank you, gentlemen, for joining us here on PressTV's News Review.
Political analyst Ali Rizk, joining us from Beirut, and independent
international affairs analyst Gilbert Dottrow, joining us from Brussels.
That brings us to an ending on this edition of the News Review. Stick
around. We've got plenty more to come here on Press TV. See you in a
bit.