BAHRAIN WILL RAISE S-300 TRANSFER WITH FM LAVROV

S E C R E T MANAMA 000093 SIPDIS BAGHDAD FOR AMBASSADOR ERELI MOSCOW FOR WELLS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019 TAGS: PARM PREL RU IR AE EG JO KU IS BA SUBJECT: BAHRAIN WILL RAISE S-300 TRANSFER WITH FM LAVROV REF: A. STATE 14577 ¶B. MANAMA 91 Classified By: CDA Christopher Henzel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) A/DCM delivered ref A points to MFA Bilateral Relations Director Dhafer Al Umran on February 18. Al Umran was particularly receptive to the message given the recent assertion by an Iranian official that Bahrain was "the fourteenth province" of Iran (ref B). He said that he was finalizing talking points for FM Sheikh Khalid's meeting later that evening with Russian FM Lavrov and would ensure that Sheikh Khalid would raise the issue. ¶2. (S) Comment: With Lavrov in town and the GOB still piqued over Iran's sovereignty claim, we expect that the FM will make clear to the Russian Bahrain's concern over what Al Umran termed "a destabilizing move." ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** HENZEL