Iran summons Bahraini charge d'affaires

Iran summons Bahraini charge d'affaires

2011-04-27 23:19:24 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned the Bahraini charge d'affaires after the Persian Gulf kingdom declared an Iranian diplomat persona non grata.

Press TV reported that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian voiced Tehran's protest at the expulsion of the Iranian diplomat. Abdollahian stressed that the Islamic Republic would reserve the right to respond in a similar fashion.

Bahrain on Monday ordered Iranian Embassy second secretary Hujatullah Rahmani to leave the country for her suspected links with an espionage cell based in Kuwait. Bahrain's Foreign Ministry summoned Iranian Embassy Charg d'Affaires Mahdi Islami and informed him of the situation through a diplomatic memorandum. The Bahraini government also urged Iran to stop its 'irresponsible behavior'.

"The arrival of foreign military forces to Bahrain to suppress the people of the country has not helped resolve Bahrain's problems, but has turned its internal matters [into] regional [ones] and further complicated the situation," Abdollahian added, slamming Manama's crackdown on protesters.

Iran has openly supported the social unrest that began in Bahrain after protesters called for a "Day of Rage" on February 14 to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, which returned the country to constitutional rule after the 1990s uprisings. Initially, people took to the streets to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, but later they began to call for the removal of the royal family. Bahrain is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family, but two-thirds of its population is Shiite.

In March, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait deployed their troops to Bahrain to reinforce a massive armed crackdown on the popular uprising. More than 25 people have been killed, hundreds arrested and thousands injured in the government-authorized violence.

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