At a meeting with Saad, UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Tariq Ahmed al-Hidan voiced his country’s “severe condemnation of these hostile, inflammatory, hateful and unacceptable remarks, which represent blatant interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs,” the state-run WAM news agency reported.

Nasrallah’s remarks, he said, “incite violence and terrorism and aim to destabilize the security and stability of [Bahrain].”

He added: “The UAE holds the Lebanese government fully responsible for these statements and demands that it issue a clear statement condemning and denouncing such hostile statements.”

On Friday, Nasrallah criticized the Bahraini authorities for detaining Shiite opposition leader Ali Salman in December on charges of “promoting violent political change.”

Nasrallah’s criticisms had prompted Manama to summon the Lebanese charge d’affaires to register its displeasure. 

In a televised speech, Nasrallah accused Bahrain’s Sunni rulers of “carrying out a Zionist-like project” in the Gulf statelet by “offering citizenship and jobs” to Sunni-Muslim foreigners.

Earlier this month, Bahrain’s prosecution authorities extended Salman’s detention by 15 days.

Bahrain has remained in turmoil since 2011 – a state of affairs that the government blames on the country’s Shiite opposition.