The move came a day after Manama recalled its ambassador from Iran and ordered Tehran’s envoy to leave within 72 hours.

Bahrain, which has a majority Shia Muslim population ruled by a Sunni dynasty, has suffered from unrest since a pro-democracy uprising in 2011.

Bahrain expelled the equivalent Iranian diplomat on Thursday as part of a growing diplomatic spat.

The Bahraini ministry also said that it took this measure against Iran “for its recurrent blatant violations of all worldwide norms, laws and conventions as well as the principles of good neighbourliness, mutual respect and for its unacceptable encroachment on the independence and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Bahrain”. Shaikh Khalid presented the UN Secretary General a book documenting the strong relationship and fruitful cooperation extended over the years between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Nations, praising the tangible global efforts to establish a world that is more secure and prosperous.

Iran has rejected “the baseless accusations from Bahrain”.

“Tehran has not and will not interfere in Bahrain’s internal affairs and reacts accordingly to Bahrain’s actions”.

The allegations against Iran “include supporting subversion, terrorism and incitement to violence through misleading media campaigns as well as assisting terrorist groups in the smuggling of weapons and explosives and training their members and harboring fugitives from justice”, the ministry said in a statement.

An interior ministry statement said arms and explosives were discovered in a house in the mainly Shia town of Nuwaidrat, south of the capital Manama.

It said several suspects were detained for allegedly having “links with Iran and Iraq”.