“Tehran maintains that the presence of foreign military forces, the repression of peaceful protests and the continued military rule in Bahrain will not solve any problems, but will further complicate the political crisis in the country,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast stated late on Wednesday.

Mehmanparast pointed out the peaceful nature of the popular revolution in the Persian Gulf kingdom and emphasized the Islamic Republic’s opposition to the use of violence by the parties involved in the standoff.

“So far we have witnessed the insistence of various Bahraini people and groups on adopting and maintaining a peaceful way in [pursuing] their demands and the document released by various Bahraini groups in opposition to violence is yet another proof of this, and we welcome that,” he said.

The Iranian official stressed that resolving the crisis in Bahrain requires fair and inclusive negotiations with the presence of representatives from all political and social parties in the country.

He went on to say that “adopting real reforms and pushing ahead with them according to popular demands as well as taking confidence-building measures can prepare the grounds for talks and solving the problem.”

Bahrain has witnessed regular anti-regime protests following a popular revolution in the island nation in February 2011. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sent security and military forces to the neighboring country upon a request from Manama to help the Bahraini government quash the peaceful protests.

Dozens of people have been killed in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds, including doctors and nurses accused of treating injured revolutionaries.

Despite the Al Khalifa regime’s ban on all demonstrations and public gatherings across the state, Bahraini protesters say they remain resolute to continue demonstrations until their demands for the establishment of a democratically elected government are met.

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