TEHRAN (FNA)- The US and Saudi Arabia are standing against the popular revolution in Bahrain for fear of a change in the power balance and equations in the region, Representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ali Saeedi said.


�The revolutionary people of Bahrain have been suffering a lot to materialize their revolution and have paved a long way and they are still taking firm steps on this path,� Saeedi said in the Southeastern city of Kerman on Saturday.

He said the hegemonic and arrogant powers are supporting the Bahraini regime, because they know that �any change in the power equation in Bahrain will change the power equation and balance in the region�.

Saeedi referred to the deployment of the US Navy's fifth fleet of warships in Bahrain and also the Al-Khalifa regime's neighborly and friendly ties with Saudi Arabia, and said Washington and Riyadh are standing against the overthrow of the al-Khalifa regime since such a collapse will greatly affect both the US and Saudi Arabia.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the al-Khalifa dynasty.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar - were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

In a Friday note to correspondents in New York City, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Bahraini regime to respect its "international human rights obligations" in dealing with peaceful protests in the country.

The UN chief "urged the (Bahraini) authorities to act in strict accordance with their international human rights obligations," said a UN spokesperson, whose name was not mentioned in the report.

Ban also expressed regret that tension remains in Bahrain three years after the beginning of the popular uprising.

The UN secretary-general "called consistently on all sides in Bahrain to exercise restraint and refrain from violent acts."

Ban said "all political constituencies and actors will need to participate freely in the dialogue for it to produce meaningful outcomes that respond to the legitimate aspirations of all Bahrainis".

The comments came as several people were injured on Friday in an attack by regime forces on protesters marking the third anniversary of the uprising against the ruling al-Khalifa family.

Witnesses said security forces fired tear gas and birdshot to disperse the peaceful demonstrators in several towns and villages including the capital, Manama. Over two dozen demonstrators were also arrested.

By Fars News Agency�

 

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