Bahraini king says plot foiled

MANAMA, Bahrain, March 21 (UPI) -- Bahrain's King Hamad bin Eisa al-Khalifa said a plot by foreign elements against his country has been thwarted.

"What Bahrain has witnessed is a test from God. However, there is a foreign plot that has been in the making for at least 20 to 30 years so that the ground is ready for its execution. If it is successful in one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, it might spread," Gulfnews.com quoted the king as saying Sunday.

He failed to name a country or those involved in the plot, but the Web site noted ties between Bahrain and Iran have reached their lowest in decades, with both countries recalling their ambassadors for consultations, mainly due to Tehran's reaction to anti-government protesters, the Web site said.

The plot "will not succeed in Bahrain or in any of the other GCC countries. I tell you that this plot has been foiled," the king told military cooperation council officers to encourage them to assist in restoring calm and stability, the site said.

Workers at government ministries and the country's oil, gas and electricity authorities resumed work Sunday after weeks of unrest, the site said.