Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a news conference on Tuesday that Tehran will soon present "a plan" for Bahrain to solve the problem in the Gulf kingdom. "I hope that in the near future conditions are prepared and we can present our proposal so they can resolve the issue," he said, without elaborating on his plan for Bahrain after a crackdown on Shias who led a month of pro-democracy protests there.
"The problem in Bahrain is not between the government and the people but it is about the presence of US bases there," Ahmadinejad added, referring to the US Fifth Fleet which has its headquarters there. "The ruler of Bahrain should sit down and negotiate with his people. It is not acceptable for him to have unlimited responsibilities. This is not accepted anywhere... The people should have the right to vote, a vote that is both free and just," he added. "The people's rights in the election should be equal... you should not allow arrogant powers to meddle (in your affairs). You should not let them come to plunder your interests and wealth for decades to come."
"The Americans are not good friends. The only thing that is important for them is their own illegal interests," Ahmadinejad said in his first public comments on Bahrain since it lifted the state of emergency. Tehran had already welcomed the move as "a positive step forward and in line with fulfilling the demands of Bahrain's people."
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