TEHRAN: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will be responsible for any 'consequences' resulting from their normalisation of relations with Tehran's arch-foe Israel. The remarks came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed agreements establishing full diplomatic ties at a ceremony at the White House.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Rouhani said that Israel is "committing more crimes in Palestine every day". "Some of the region's countries, their people are pious Muslims but their rulers neither understand religion nor (their) debt … to the nation of Palestine, to their brothers speaking their language," he said in televised remarks.

"How could you reach out your hands to Israel? And then you want to give them bases in the region? All the severe consequences that would arise from this are on you." US President Donald Trump said similar Washington-brokered deals were close between Israel and several Arab countries, including Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia. "After decades of division and conflict we mark the dawn of a new Middle East," Trump said.

Iran had previously warned Bahrain that its deal made it a partner to Israel's "crimes" and accused the UAE of betraying the Muslim world. In 2016, Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Iran and the UAE downgraded relations amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic republic. Sunni-ruled Bahrain has faced long-running unrest among its large Shiite community that it has consistently blamed on Iran. -AFP