Manama: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states could sever their diplomatic relations with Iran, a Kuwaiti daily report said on Saturday citing diplomatic sources.
"A GCC arrangement is currently under way to adopt a significant step on relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran," sources quoted by Al Watan daily said.
"There is a strong inclination towards severing relations with Tehran. The GCC foreign ministers are expected to pass on the recommendation to the GCC leaders," the unnamed sources were quoted saying.
The GCC foreign ministers are particularly disturbed by Tehran's "direct involvement" in the political unrest in the region and its attempt to disrupt security and stability, the report said
Strong reasons
According to the sources, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have strong reasons to be greatly dismayed by Iran.
"Saudi Arabia has been the subject of Iran's strong criticism over the deployment of troops in Bahrain. Manama is extremely agitated by the level of involvement of Iran with the opposition after it discovered abundant proof of direct contact with the protesters. The Bahraini authorities are ascertaining the extent of involvement of the Lebanese Hezbollah in the recent unrest in the kingdom. In addition, the Bahraini leadership is monitoring the dormant cells scattered in GCC countries. As for the UAE, it has a longstanding issue with Iran [over the occupied UAE islands of Abu Mousa and Lesser and Greater Tunbs]," the sources said.
The Kuwaiti daily said that the GCC countries had received US intelligence reports that point to "an intriguing Iranian role in the region's unrest".
The report said that Iran was "given ample opportunity to show some good faith towards the GCC states, but continued with its design to export the principles of its revolution as explicitly stated by the founders of the revolution some decades ago."
The report also stated that the US now believes that after all these years the Iranian leadership is still committed to its declaration and therefore care and caution should be maintained.
The GCC foreign ministers are scheduled to meet today to discuss the latest developments in the region, the GCC secretariat said.
In Kuwait City, several MPs have strongly rejected the statements made by Ali Akbar Salehi, the Iranian foreign minister, on the Kuwaiti judiciary system.
Al Watan said the MPs demanded that the Iranian leadership show respect for Kuwaiti sovereignty and refrain from interfering in Kuwait's judicial system, and said that an apology was needed "following the foreign minister's attempt to impugn the integrity of Kuwait".
