“Iran, based on its foreign policy, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and has been committed to this principle up to now”

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has categorically rejected allegations that Tehran interferes in regional countries, describing the accusations as part of a blame-game against Iran.

“Iran, based on its foreign policy, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and has been committed to this principle up to now,” Salehi said at a conference on the developments in the Middle East and North Africa on Saturday.

He said that certain countries in the region, along with "global arrogance", play the blame-game by accusing Iran of interfering in the region without offering any evidence.

Salehi recommended that Gulf countries refrain from adopting 'rash' decisions, urging them to seek "farsighted" policies based on "prudence."

He noted that while respecting the sovereignty of Bahrain, Iran was urging Manama to respect the rights of its people. “We believe in Bahrain's territorial independence ... However, we also believe that the Bahraini people, like other people in the region, have the right to enjoy the minimum civil rights and these rights should be recognized.”

Salehi also condemned the Saudi-led military invasion of Bahrain as “unjustifiable" and called on the Bahraini government to “meet the legitimate demands of its people and put an end to this crisis.”

Salehi's remarks came after a joint statement on Wednesday by the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council backed the deployment of Saudi-led forces in crisis-hit Bahrain.

The statement said that the two blocs played up the importance of respect for the sovereignty of GCC members -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- and recognized that the GCC member countries are entitled to take all necessary measures to protect their citizens.