Saudi Arabia, UAE betrayed Bahrainis

Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/170711.html

Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani says Saudi Arabia and the UAE have betrayed the people of Bahrain by helping Manama with severe crackdown on peaceful protesters.

“The massacre of Bahraini people in this critical condition will be kept in the minds of the regional nations as a great betrayal,” IRIB quoted Larijani as saying in an interview with al-Alam TV channel on Friday.

The United Arab Emirates should also know that the people of Bahrain will consider the UAE betraying neighbor for its military intervention in their country, Larijani noted.

The top Iranian official further reiterated that the UAE will surely pay the price for such meddling.

Larijani pointed the finger of blame at the United States for the ongoing critical situation in crisis-hit Bahrain.

He said that the US intentionally avoided direct intervention in Bahrain, where it has a military base, so that it would not risk relations with a possible new regime in Bahrain in case of the ouster of the ruling government.

“On the other hand, they (Americans) don't want the ruling regime out [of power] so they ordered Saudi Arabia and the UAE to stop Bahrain's popular uprising,” he added.

According to Larijani, the United States nudged Saudi Arabia and the UAE into repressing Bahraini people to help shield US interests and image in the region.

The senior Iranian official also urged Saudi Arabia and the UAE to put an immediate end to their invasion of Bahrain, adding that any meddling in domestic affairs of regional countries was detrimental to the whole region.

More than 12 people have so far been killed and about 1,000 injured during the anti-government protests since February 14 in Bahrain.

Bahraini protesters have been demanding the ouster of the Al Khalifa monarchy and constitutional reforms.

To help the Bahraini government crush the anti-government protests, Saudi Arabia has deployed more than 1,000 troops to the country at the request of Manama.

In a similar move, the UAE has dispatched around 500 police forces to the oil-rich Persian Gulf monarchy.