WikiLeaks reveals 5 Arab countries concerned about Iran

At least five Arab countries are keeping a wary eye on Iran, as revealed in the classified US documents publicized by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

Bahrain

Ivan Sekretarev/AP/File
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (r.) and the King of Bahrain Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (l.) are seen during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 2, 2008.

Bahrain may not have the wealth or size of Saudi Arabia, but the tiny nation's clout is bolstered by hosting the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. A 2009 cable from a US diplomat makes it clear that Bahrain was hoping the US would take out Iran’s nuclear program, calling “forcefully for taking action to terminate [Iran’s] nuclear program, by whatever means necessary.” That demand is attributed in the cable to Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa.

While Bahrain is a Shiite-majority country, its Sunni minority holds the top political positions and is treated more favorably – fueling the Arab world's divide between Sunni- and Shiite-led nations, such as Iran.

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