A picture released by the official website of the Centre for Preserving and Publishing the Works of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei PHOTO: AFP
DUBAI: Bahrain's foreign ministry has summoned Iran's envoy and accused Tehran of interfering in its affairs after remarks by the Islamic republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, BNA state news agency said.
Iran's acting charge d'affaires Hameed Shafee Zad was handed an official letter protesting the "blatant interference" in Bahrain's internal affairs, BNA reported late on Saturday.
Iran threatens Arabs as much as Islamic State, says Bahrain
Khamenei's remarks "carry an explicit incitement and reflect a clear determination to foment discord and fuel tensions in the region," BNA quoted foreign ministry undersecretary Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla as saying.
The protest by the Sunni-ruled kingdom appeared to refer to remarks posted on Khamenei's Twitter account accusing Bahrain's "tyrant minority" of "desecrating" things sacred to the Shia majority.
Bahrain has repeatedly accused Shia power Iran of meddling in its internal affairs. Last month it recalled its ambassador from Tehran and asked Iran's envoy to leave over such claims.
5 Bahrain Shias get life in jail for 'spying for Iran'
Bahrain has been hit by unrest since a Shia-led uprising in 2011 that called for democratic reforms.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ