Bahrain playing blame game to justify own failure: Iran

Tehran has dismissed as baseless the Manama regime’s latest claims that it is attempting to destabilize the kingdom, saying Bahraini rulers are playing a “blame game” to justify their own crackdown on dissidents at home.

According to Press TV, during a Monday press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said the authorities in Manama have failed to properly address the peaceful demands of Bahraini citizens, and seek to give a justification for their failure by attributing the protest rallies in the kingdom to Iran.

He was reacting to Bahrain’s claims on Sunday that it had uncovered a 54-member Iranian-linked militant group suspected of involvement in attacks on security forces in the Persian Gulf state.

“Obviously, playing a blame game is a method commonly used by all suppressive establishments, which are having problems with their own people. This method never helps solving [their] crises,” the official said.

Qassemi further advised Bahrain to treat its people “justly" and “morally” instead of keeping up the suppression of people and opposition activists.

‘Saudi anti-Iran struggles to lead nowhere’

During the briefing, Qassemi was also asked about Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s tour of the Asia-Pacific amid speculations that the monarch may seek to intensify Riyadh’s regional struggle against the Islamic Republic.

In late February, the Saudi king embarked on a month-long tour of Asia-Pacific, where he is visiting Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, China and the Maldives.

Qassemi said the Saudi regime, which has been suffering from a slump in global oil prices, is after building a consensus against other countries, particularly Iran, in the region.

Such attempts “are nothing new and will lead nowhere,” the Iranian official stressed.

SS