Bahrain clerci’s arrest impulsive, imprudent: Iran official

A senior Iranian official has hit out at the Manama regime for apprehending Bahraini opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, describing his arrest as an “impulsive” and “imprudent” move.

Salman’s arrest suggests “[the Bahraini regime’s] support for extremists’ activities in the country,” said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian upon return home from his trip to the United Arab Emirates.

Bahraini forces on Sunday detained Salman who leads the country’s main opposition bloc, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.

The Iranian official said the wrong policy of crackdown and violence adopted by the Bahraini regime will prompt the country’s opposition to distance themselves from democratic methods, which, as the diplomat stressed, will “not be in the interest of Bahrain and the region.”

The Iranian official said Salman’s arrest will have repercussions for the Manama regime.

“Bahrain will not be able to put up with the consequences of this move (the arrest of Salman),” Amir-Abdollahian said.

He said Salman’s arrest could affect tranquility in the region.

“The arrest of the secretary general of Bahrain’s democratic al-Wefaq [National Islamic] Society at the current sensitive situation in the region runs counter to security and tranquility” in the Middle East.

He warned that Iran will not allow regional security to be jeopardized.

“At a time when terrorism and extremism constitute a collective threat of our time, Tehran will never allow extremists to compromise collective security in our region.”Bahrain’s arrest of Sheikh Salman came as the 49-year-old respected cleric secured a new four-year term in al-Wefaq’s general congress last Friday.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of protesters have held numerous rallies in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.