Tasnm � Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi shrugged off Bahrain�s allegation that suspected members of a terror cell it has recently arrested have had links with Tehran, saying leveling such accusations cannot resolve the Arab country�s internal problems.





In a statement released on Friday, Qassemi described the Manama regime�s continued attempts to link problems of the Persian Gulf country with Iran as �a failed and worn-out method� to cover up their internal problems.

His remarks came after the Bahraini regime said on Thursday that it has arrested members of a terror cell allegedly linked to Iran.

Qassemi said the international community is fully aware that the 6-year-old internal crisis in Bahrain is a result of �the security approach� of the government of the country toward peaceful popular protests in the country.

The spokesman further recommended the Al Khalifa regime to avoid diverting attention and blaming neighbors and instead, accept international calls for an end to the security approach and dialogue with the opposition leaders.

Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has been witnessing protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, with Manama using heavy-handed measures in an attempt to crush the demonstrations.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.

Amnesty International and many other international rights organizations have frequently censured the Bahraini regime for the rampant human rights abuses against opposition groups and anti-regime protesters.