US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned Iran on Saturday to stop meddling in Bahrain and other Arab states in the Persian Gulf, but also called on the kingdom's leaders not to use force against anti-government protesters. Clinton said the United States "has an abiding commitment to Gulf security" and that "a top priority is working together with our partners on our shared concerns about Iranian behaviour in the region."
"We share the view that Iran's activities in the Gulf, including its efforts to advance its agenda in neighbouring countries, undermines peace and stability," she told reporters after an international conference on the crisis in Libya. At that meeting, she met with numerous Arab officials who complained that Iran was fomenting unrest Bahrain and elsewhere.
Bahrain's Sunni minority monarchy is facing growing opposition from the Shiite-majority population and has called in security forces from neighbouring Sunni states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to deal with escalating protests. Clinton said Bahrain had a "sovereign right" to ask for such assistance, but she said violence was not the way to deal with the situation.
"Security alone cannot resolve the challenges facing Bahrain," she said. "Violence is not and cannot be the answer. A political process is." She said all Bahrainis should join a national dialogue proposed by the country's crown prince and allow that process to "unfold in a peaceful positive atmosphere that protects the freedom of peaceful assembly."
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