Iran has cold words for Bahrain

TEHRAN, April 26 (UPI) -- Tehran reserves the right to pursue retaliatory actions against Bahrain after the kingdom accused an Iranian diplomat of spying, an Iranian spokesman said.

Bahrain according to its state-run news agency ordered Iranian deputy envoy Hujatullah Rahmani to leave the country following allegations he was tied to a spy ring in Kuwait.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast chastised what he described as "undiplomatic behavior" from the Bahraini government.

"The latest move by the Bahraini foreign ministry is against the two countries' good neighborly relations and not based on realities," he was quoted by the official Islamic Republic News Agency as saying. Tehran, he added, reserves the right to take retaliatory measures against Bahrain.

Bahrain is under international scrutiny for its response to a Shiite uprising against the country's minority Sunni monarchy. The country recently accused Hezbollah of using training grounds in Iran and Lebanon to help Shiite opposition leaders undermine the ruling monarchy

"Our expectation is that officials in the region avoid any hasty remarks that will not help solve regional problems, and adopt an insightful and wise policy," the spokesman added in response to the Kuwaiti allegations.