Bahrain FM: Qatar Orbits Iran, Failed to Present Initiative to Resolve Crisis

Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa speaks during a news conference in Manama, Bahrain, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa speaks during a news conference in Manama, Bahrain, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
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Bahrain FM: Qatar Orbits Iran, Failed to Present Initiative to Resolve Crisis

Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa speaks during a news conference in Manama, Bahrain, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa speaks during a news conference in Manama, Bahrain, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said that Qatar was still “orbiting Iran”, adding: “We have not seen any sign of Qatar’s initiative to resolve the crisis, so we are still waiting for this step.”

“We are not losers,” he said. “We are concerned about the stability and prosperity of our countries, the security and progress of our peoples before anything else, and it is up to them - the Qataris - if they want to resolve their crisis or not.”

On the Gulf Summit in Kuwait, the Bahraini minister said: “The summit [will be held] on time, upon an invitation by the host country.”

Asked about US President Donald Trump’s remarks on the possibility to terminate the nuclear deal with Iran, Sheikh Khaled said: “We welcomed his speech and the strategy he put forward, and we have been waiting for it for a long time.”

He explained: “Bahrain welcomed this strategy because it is one of the countries that have suffered the most from Iranian terrorism and Iranian interventions, and we are waiting for this strategy to progress and achieve its objectives and not be withdrawn.”

The Bahraini minister underlined the convergence of the strategy launched by Trump with the vision of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain towards Iran’s role in the region.

“Now we see a clearer picture than before, a sound vision and a sense of danger in the region, where Iran represents the greatest threat to security and stability,” he noted.



OIC Marks World Humanitarian Day with Regional and International Partners

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha and other officials mark World Humanitarian Day in Jeddah. (OIC)
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha and other officials mark World Humanitarian Day in Jeddah. (OIC)
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OIC Marks World Humanitarian Day with Regional and International Partners

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha and other officials mark World Humanitarian Day in Jeddah. (OIC)
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha and other officials mark World Humanitarian Day in Jeddah. (OIC)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) marked World Humanitarian Day in Jeddah on Tuesday, bringing together regional and international partners to reaffirm collective efforts in crisis response and humanitarian relief.

Participants included the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha underlined the organization’s commitment to the values of mercy and solidarity rooted in Islam, noting that the creation of the Humanitarian Affairs Department within the OIC was designed to bolster coordination, address crises, and preserve human dignity.

“Humanitarian action is a shared responsibility,” he said, stressing that international cooperation can save lives and build a more just future for the peoples of the Islamic world and humanity at large.

In a recorded address, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah emphasized the growing scale of global humanitarian challenges.

He noted that the number of displaced people and refugees worldwide had exceeded 122 million by April 2025. “Humanitarian action has become a necessity, not an option,” he said, reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to providing relief and assistance to afflicted communities across the globe.

Al Rabeeah said Saudi Arabia has provided more than $141 billion in humanitarian and development aid worldwide, of which around $124 billion has gone to OIC member states, with Gaza receiving priority support.

Gaza will remain at the forefront of the Kingdom’s humanitarian agenda, he vowed.