Bahrain summons Iranian diplomat over Khamenei's comments

Bahrain has summoned a senior Iranian diplomat to the Gulf nation to protest comments made by top Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The official Bahrain News Agency says the Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian Embassy's acting charge d'affaires, Mortadha Sanubari, on Sunday evening to complain about what the country sees as a "flagrant and unacceptable interference" in its internal affairs.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Khamenei said his country would continue to support its regional friends despite its recent nuclear deal with world powers, including "the oppressed Palestinian nation, Yemen, Syria, Iraq (and) Bahrain."

Bahraini officials blame Iran for stoking instability in the tiny Sunni-ruled island kingdom through support to the country's majority Shiites, who are the driving force behind an ongoing anti-government opposition movement.