In revolution anniversary speech, Rouhani lays claim to Bahrain, other neighbors

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday laid historical claims to a number of Gulf countries, without specifically naming them.

In a speech marking the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Rouhani said: “47 years ago, which is seven years before the Islamic Revolution during the reign of the traitor Pahlavi regime, an important part of southern Iran separated, and we have read that geographically it was a part of Iran, and its 14th province. That was done by Pahlavi.”

Rouhani was referring to the Kingdom of Bahrain, which Iranian officials in the past have referred to as the “14th province”. The United Nations had conducted a referendum in Bahrain in 1970, which asserted the country’s independence.

“A hundred years ago, a large part of Iran was separated. In those parts, many countries in the south of the Gulf have formed,” Rouhani said. During the speech, Rouhani also laid claims to several areas, including land that is currently in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

Referring to Iran as “the Mother Land,” Rouhani said that during the rule of “the traitor Qajar dynasty 205 years ago,” large portions of lands were separated from Northern Iran and the caucuses.