One of Iran's top military commanders warned Saudi Arabia on Sunday that its decision to send forces to Bahrain to quell protests by Shias would spark unrest at home, a semi-official Iranian news agency reported.
General Hasan Firouzabadi, head of Iran's joint chiefs of staff, didn't offer any evidence to back up his claim. But his comments reflected growing tension between Shia-majority Iran and Sunni-dominated countries in the Gulf like Saudi Arabia.
Iran has repeatedly denounced Gulf leaders for dispatching a Saudi-led military force in March to prop up Bahrain's Sunni monarchy and try to quell the protests by Shias, who comprise 70 percent of the population but are excluded from key government and security posts. "Unfair and unIslamic moves will hurt the honour of Muslims in Saudi Arabia, and it will threaten the security of Saudi Arabia," Firouzabadi was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.