Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
Nateq-Nouri was at the center of an international dispute in 2009 after he referred to Bahrain as Iran's 14th province. Bahrain paused negotiations with Iran regarding gas imports in response, and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf condemned the remarks. The Iranian foreign minister immediately commented on the controversy and stated that Nateq-Nouri's remarks about the history of Bahrain had been misinterpreted by the media and that Iran respected Bahrain's sovereignty. Nateq-Nouri himself told Al Jazeera that his remarks about the history of the region had been misunderstood and that his comment was not relevant to today's Iran-Bahrain relationship.