Bahraini and Iranian Ministers Meet After Protest Spat

According to the Iranian government, the foreign ministers of Bahrain and Iran met in New York late Monday for their first talks since the two countries withdrew their ambassadors in a row over the crushing of Shiite-led protests in Bahrain. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi stated that “Iran believes that the only solution to problems facing Bahrain is practicing restraint and holding dialogue between the Bahraini officials and the people of the country.”

Brian Murphy examines the efforts of protesters to maintain popular momentum toward reform, as well as the Bahraini leadership’s fear of Shiite influence from Iran and Iraq. Meanwhile, Amnesty International reported that “a group of 38 women and seven girls arrested last week during a protest against Bahrain’s parliamentary by-elections have reportedly been tortured or ill-treated.” Additionally, two members of Bahrain’s handball team have been jailed for 15 years for taking part in anti-government protests in the Gulf nation.