Iraq on Sunday demanded an apology from Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa after the latter insulted an Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Khalid stated that the Iranian government "controlled" Baghdad, along with calling al-Sadr a "dog" in a tweet posted on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.
"The words of the Bahraini foreign ministry - representing Bahraini diplomacy - are offensive to Muqtada al-Sadr...(and) are totally unacceptable in diplomatic practice," Iraq's foreign ministry outlined in a statement.
"They also harm Iraq, its sovereignty and independence, especially when the Bahraini minister speaks of Iraq being under the control of neighbouring Iran," the statement further read.
Khaled allegedly insulted al-Sadr after the cleric denounced the wars in Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria, demanding the immediate departures of the leaders of the said countries.
"Muqtada expresses his fear of increased (foreign) intervention in Iraq...and instead of putting his finder on Iraq's wounds by directing his speech at the Iranian regime that controls his country, he chose the safe route and addressed Bahrain. God save Iraq from his likes," Bahrain's Foreign Minister tweeted in Arabic on Saturday.
Bahrain's foreign ministry summoned Iraq's Charge d'Affaires Nihad Rajab Askar in response, expressing the kingdom's "dismay" at the statement.
"The statement (by Iraq) is a blatant and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain," a statement issued by the Bahrain foreign ministry stated.
"It violates the principles of international law and affects the nature of relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Iraq," it added.
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