Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa says Manama has always chosen to be on the side of Riyadh to protect its country against Qatari and Iranian interference.

:: Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, said in a statement on Wednesday that Manama has always chosen to be on the side of Riyadh to protect its country against Qatari and Iranian interference.

The king said he is in Saudi Arabia not only to discuss developments in the region, but also “to renew our appreciation for the support we receive in Bahrain to protect its security and stability in light of the Qatari and Iranian interference.”

He said interference coming from both Qatar and Iran “extend several centuries.”

He added: “This interference has affected our Arab and Muslim brethren, which did not leave any choice for us to protect our security and stability, but to take these measures.”

Mauritania became the eighth country to cut ties with Qatar after Saudi, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Maldives and Mauritius.

“We urge Qatar to correct its policies and to stick to agreements…to eliminate practices that aim to shake our countries’ security and threaten the unity of our societies for our relationships to go back to the way it was with Qatar and elsewhere.”

He added: “Throughout history Bahrain has chosen to be in solidarity with our Saudi brethren to protect its religion, Arab identity, in coexistence and forgiveness, maintaining its entity and good neighborliness.”