Tehran, March 16: Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned ambassadors of Switzerland and Saudi Arabia over their military interventions in the crisis-hit Bahrain.
Iran summoned the Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Livia Leu Agosti on Tuesday over the US support for interference of foreign forces in Bahrain and “baseless” remarks by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates against the Islamic Republic during an unannounced visit to the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Friday evening.
The Islamic Republic expressed its protest over the “illegal” behavior of the US government, reported Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
The Swiss Embassy in Tehran represents US interests in Iran since Tehran and Washington severed diplomatic relations in 1980.
“The US support for military intervention is in clear contradiction with international regulations and the United Nations Charter. So, the Islamic Republic holds the United States responsible for dangerous consequences of such illegal attitude,” said a Foreign Ministry official.
Following the US defense secretary’s visit to Manama, the Persian Gulf littoral state has intensified its violent crackdown on Bahraini protesters.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Director General for the Persian Gulf and Middle East Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian expressed the Islamic Republic’s concern over “unacceptable” move by Saudi Arabia to invade Bahrain.
“What is going on in Egypt right now is a peaceful plan on popular demands from the government. It was expected that the Saudi government would adopt a wise and responsible attitude to such events,” Amir Abdollahian said.
“The entrance of Saudi military forces to Bahrain will not help settle the event but will complicate the situation and turn a domestic issue into a regional crisis,” he added.
The official emphasized that the move runs counter to efforts aimed at establishing stability and security in the “crucial and vital” Persian Gulf region.
The Islamic Republic also summoned Bahrain’s charge d’affaires over the Saudi invasion.
“The move by foreign forces for any reason and within any framework is not acceptable and will lead to further complication of the situation in Bahrain,” another Iranian Foreign Ministry official said.
“As the Islamic Republic has already announced, resorting to violation is condemned and it is necessary to pursue a peaceful approach to public demands,” the official added.
Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf Cooperation Council member states dispatched their armed forces to Bahrain in response to Manama’s call for military help to quell public protests.
The United States, which has its Fifth Fleet based there, has declined to term the troops’ move into Bahrain as incursion.
At least seven people have lost their lives and hundreds of others have sustained injuries following the Bahraini government’s violent crackdown on demonstrators.
——–Agencies