Iran may expel Bahraini diplomat in tit-for-tat action

TEHRAN – Iran has criticized Bahrain for expelling Hujatullah Rahmani, the second secretary in its embassy in Manama.

“Iran reserves the right to hit back,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said in response to a report released by a Bahraini news agency accusing Rahmani of having links to a Kuwaiti spy ring.

Mehmanparast said the move is aimed at distracting public attention from incidents taking place in Bahrain, adding these actions are “not based on realities.”

He also said that such allegations are unfounded and intrigued by certain countries, which seek to sow discord between the regional nations.

----------U.S. accusations against Iran unfounded

Mehmanparast also dismissed remarks made by the U.S. President and his secretary of state, who accused Iran of interfering in internal affairs of Syria.

Such claims are part of U.S. psychological warfare against Iran, he stated, calling on U.S. officials to think about their words.

U.S. President Barack Obama claimed on Friday that the Syrian government is seeking Iran’s aid in dealing with the protests, saying, “Instead of listening to their own people, President Bashar Assad is blaming outsiders while seeking Iranian assistance in suppressing Syria’s citizens through the same brutal tactics that have been used by his Iranian allies.”

Mehmanparast said Washington is trying to divert world public attention away from its support for certain regimes in the region.

“Regional countries will never forget White House’s one-sided support for the illegitimate Zionist regime, its occupation and crimes against the oppressed people of Palestine and Lebanon and… over the past six decades,” he added.

“They will neither ignore U.S. support for the Egyptian and Tunisian dictatorships and its indifference to the killing of defenseless Bahraini people, which are obvious examples of double-standard policies of Washington toward regional nations.”

--- Tehran dismisses claims by Kuwaiti FM

Mehmanparast also expressed deep regret over remarks by the Kuwaiti foreign minister in which he has leveled accusations against the Iranian government.

In an interview with Dubai-based Al Arabiya television, Sheikh Mohammad al-Salem al-Sabah accused Iran of meddling in the internal affairs of Arab states and claimed that an alleged Iranian spy ring was linked to certain Iranian state organizations.

“In our view, the Kuwaiti foreign minister’s remarks are not in the interests of the region,” Mehmanparast said.

The spokesperson also advised the regional countries’ officials to refrain from making “hasty” remarks which don’t contribute to the settlement of regional issues and adopt wise and well-thought-out policies.

The Kuwaiti media said in May 2010 that authorities had detained a number of people, Kuwaitis and foreigners, suspected of engaging in espionage for Iran. Media reports said they were accused of gathering information on Kuwaiti and U.S. military sites for Iran.

Earlier this month, Iran expelled three Kuwaiti diplomats in a tit-for-tat action after Kuwait said it would expel three Iranian diplomats in a row over spy allegations.

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