Bahrain breaks up weapon, explosives smuggling

He is expected to hold talks later with the ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, who paid his first visit as head of state to Iran a year ago. The curbs are aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining an atomic bomb, something it denies it is seeking. He is due to visit Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq on Sunday.

“The Iranian leader’s comments are unacceptable interference and it is a clear infringement on the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Bahrain”, al-Azhar said in a statement Thursday, announcing its support to the neighboring Gulf State.

Bahrain’s government on Friday accused Iran of attempting to disrupt Bahrain’s security by provided weapons and explosives training to Bahrainis, and escalating violence on the island whenever Bahrain made “progress with national stability”.

Among those arrested were two 30-year-old Bahraini suspects, Mahdi Subah Abdulmohsen Mohammed and Abbas Abdulhussain Abdullah Mohammed.

The ministry said the two suspects wanted to dispose of the materials they received off the Bahraini coast, including 43.8 kg of the powerful explosive C4, eight automatic assault rifles (Kalashnikov), 32 Kalashnikov magazines, ammunition and detonators.

Sunni-ruled Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, often accuses Shia Iran of seeking to subvert Bahrain.

His statement triggered strong reactions in Bahrain with the parliament’s foreign affairs committee demanding an extraordinary Arab summit to discuss “Iranian interference” while the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) called it a “blatant” interference to destabilize the country.

“This approach is not constructive and it will not stop Iran’s trust-building policy to cooperate with regional countries to fight against extremism and terrorism”, said regime spokesperson Marzieh Afkham.