Iran Slams Foreign Meddling in Bahrain

At his weekly press conference on Tuesday Mehmanparast said "presence of foreign forces and interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain are unacceptable and will further complicate the issue."
"People (of Bahrain) have legitimate demands that are being expressed in a peaceful manner. Any kind of violence against people's peaceful demands should be avoided," he added.

He went on to emphasize that the Islamic Republic expects Bahraini officials to address and meet the demands of their people through more appropriate measures.

The foreign ministry official further added that US military presence in any region has often led to the suppression of people.

He also suggested US officials to respect democracy, recognize the rights of nations to determine their own destiny and avoid instigating divisions and violence as well as dispatching military officials to the region.

His remarks came after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates made an unannounced visit to the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Friday evening.

Mehmanparast called on Western countries to rectify their flawed approach toward democracy and human right, reiterating that the only option left for Western countries was to respect nations' rights and heed the demands of the majority of people.