Ruhollah Hosseinian, a conservative Iranian MP says Iran must prepare its military forces to keep Saudi Arabia from approaching its borders.
Reacting to the presence of Saudi troops in Bahrain, Hosseinian told Khabar-on-line website: “There must be no hesitation on the part of Iran for military preparation when the Saudi government has driven its troops into another country.”
He said Iran must take a much firmer stance against the Saudi military presence in Bahrain.
Saudi and UAE forces have entered Bahrain to assist its government in crushing popular protests that began in February. Bahrain’s Sunni government has been alarmed by the majority Shiite population, which has been a driving force in the protests. Bahrain and some of its Sunni neighbours worry that Iran may have had a hand in the protests.
Hosseinina said official complaints against the Saudi intervention in Bahrain should be heard on the international stage.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has condemned the Saudi presence in Bahrain, comparing it to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait.
The hardline Islamic Coalition Party of Iran is calling on the foreign ministry to lend support to the people of Bahrain and “prevent further oppression in Bahrain by the dominant powers and their mercenaries.”
Iran’s foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi has said Iran is committed to not interfering in its neighbours’ affairs, and Iran reactions will be solely diplomatic.
Bahraini opposition leader Ali Salman issued a statement on March 30 urging Iran to refrain from any intervention in Bahrain’s internal affairs. The Bahraini opposition, he said, does not want its country to be turned into a war zone between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Iran and Bahrain have recalled their ambassadors following rising tension between the two countries.
