In a statement, Al-Azhar said the latest statements of Iranian Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei, during Eid Al-Fitr holiday, are considered an unacceptable interference in Bahraini affairs and a flagrant violation of the independence and sovereignty of Bahrain.

Bahrain authorities on Saturday announced that it foiled a terror operation with links to Iran involving attempts to smuggle via sea high-grade explosives, automatic weapons, and ammunition into the country. Neighboring countries have accused Iran of supporting Shiite populations.

It said Bahrain would take all measures to enhance its security and the safety of its people.

Bahrain said it was hopeful relations would normalise between the two countries but said repeated Iranian statements were evidence of “a strategy built on interference in the affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain”. It named the two as Mahdi Subah Abdulmohsen Mohammed, 30, and Abas Abdulhussain Abdullah Mohammed, also 30.

The ministry said the two arrestees attempted to dispose the materials they received off the coast of Bahrain; however they were later recovered by the Bahraini Coast Guard and were found to contain a lethal mix of materials, including 43.8 kg of the powerful explosive C4, eight automatic assault rifles (Kalashnikov), 32 Kalashnikov magazines, ammunition and detonators.

Parliament’s foreign affairs committee had a short time before the announcement of the envoy’s recall demanded an extraordinary Arab summit to discuss “Iranian interference”.

The two suspects have admitted receiving the shipment from Iranian handlers outside Bahrain’s territorial waters.

Bahraini minister added that this is despite the fact that the kingdom has sought to strengthen ties with Iran, “and all our actions were a positive regard for consistently good neighborliness”.