Tasnim � Iran�s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said the first batch of Bahraini citizens who were stranded in Iran following the outbreak of coronavirus returned home under the auspices of the Sultanate of Oman.

�In line with the humanitarian measures, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made efforts to transfer the foreign nationals to their respective countries, and as a result of these measures and frequent coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, the first group of Bahraini citizens left for their country this morning,� Mousavi said on Tuesday.

�The Islamic Republic of Iran offers special gratitude to the government of Oman, praises that country�s humanitarian approach to cooperation and its determination to perform such a humanitarian task, and hopes that positive interaction on part of the Bahraini government and continuation of this process would allow other Bahraini citizens in Iran to return to their homeland according to the schedule,� he added.

Last week, the spokesman had criticized the Bahraini government�s irresponsible behavior towards its citizens stranded in Iran.

�While many regional countries took action to take back their citizens in cooperation with our country�s officials, sadly the government of Bahrain has not done anything to take back its citizens despite the readiness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran for cooperation, and has not either accepted the proposals put forward by certain parties,� Mousavi said on March 4.

�At present, around 1,300 Bahraini citizens who have come to Iran for pilgrimage and tourism have had to have a long and unwanted stay in Iran because the Bahraini government has neglected to address their situation,� he had announced.