Tasnim – Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed as “repetitious and groundless” a recent allegation by Bahrain that members of “a terror cell” arrested in the Persian Gulf country have had links with Iran, recommending the Bahraini rulers to improve relations with their own people.

In comments on Sunday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi rejected a statement from the Bahraini regime that has accused Iran of having links with members of what Manama calls a terror cell.

Shifting blames onto others, devising repetitious scenarios, or raising baseless allegations against Iran would never help the Bahraini government to settle its problems with the people, he added.

“We once again recommend Bahraini officials to pave the way for interaction and dialogue with its people instead of intensifying security and policing approaches,” the spokesperson said.

His comments came after Bahrain said it has arrested 116 suspected members of a “terror cell” allegedly linked to Iran, claiming that as many as 48 detainees had received military training in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon.

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.