IRAN has branded Bahrain as a partner to the "crimes" of Israel after the two nations announced a peace deal to normalise relations after decades of animosity.
"The rulers of Bahrain will from now on be partners to the crimes of the Zionist regime as a constant threat to the security of the region and the world of Islam," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday (12).
Iran accused its arch foe Israel of "decades of violence, slaughter, war, terror and bloodshed in oppressed Palestine and the region".
The Friday announcement by US President Donald Trump made Bahrain the second Arab country in a month, after the United Arab Emirates, to normalise ties with Israel under US sponsorship.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier this month that the UAE had "betrayed" the Muslim world and that he hoped they would "soon wake up and compensate for what they have done".
Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia has made no comment on the Bahrain agreement and has held back from striking a similar deal of its own.
It has reiterated its longstanding position that Israel must first sign an internationally recognised peace accord with the Palestinians.
Iran said that through this "shameful" deal, Bahrain has "sacrificed the Palestinian cause at the altar of American elections".
Its "result will undoubtedly be growing anger and the lasting hatred of the oppressed people of Palestine, Muslims and the free nations of the world".
Before this year, Israel had been able to strike just two peace accords with Arab countries -- Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 -- and Trump is hoping that the diplomatic successes will give him badly needed momentum going into the November 3 presidential election.
Bahrain, alongside the UAE, downgraded its relations with Iran in 2016 amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic republic.
The Sunni-ruled kingdom has faced long-running unrest among its large Shiite community that it has consistently blamed on Iran.
Tehran-Riyadh relations deteriorated further last year following a series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf, which Washington blamed on Tehran despite Iranian denials.
Saudi Arabia and Iran take opposing sides in regional conflicts from Syria to Yemen.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)