Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa arrived in Tehran Thursday on a mission to ease tension between caused by a senior Iranian cleric's remarks. Former Iranian parliament Speaker, the conservative Ali-Akbar Nateq-Nouri, had reportedly said earlier this month that Iran still had sovereignty over Bahrain - sparking a diplomatic crisis, according to dpa. According to a foreign ministry statement in Tehran, Al Khalifa was to meet his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki to discuss the dispute. The two will hold a joint press conference on Friday. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has already sent a message to Bahrain's King Hamad through an envoy as a first effort to cool the crisis.
