Iran warns Bahrain over revoking cleric's citizenship

Sheik Isa Qassim, Bahrain's top Shia cleric, was stripped of his nationality

Top Revolutionary Guard commander says Manama's move against Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim could "set region on fire".

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has issued a warning to Bahrain suggesting there could be armed resistance across the country after Manama stripped the kingdom's top Shia cleric of his citizenship.

Qassim has been accused of working to divide Bahraini society

The Bahrain News Agency quoted the interior ministry on Monday as saying that Sheikh Isa Qassim had played a key role in creating an "extremist" sectarian atmosphere and working to divide Bahraini society.


The move against Qassim comes less than a week after a court suspended the activities of the country's leading Shia opposition group, Al-Wefaq, on charges of "terrorism, extremism and violence" in the kingdom, and having ties to a foreign power - pointing a finger at Iran, a vocal critic of the Sunni-led monarchy.

General Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Revoutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, warned Bahrain on Monday its move against Qassim could "set the region on fire".
"Al-Khalifa [the rulers of Bahrain] will definitely pay the price for that and their bloodthirsty regime will be toppled," Suleimani said in a statement published by Iran's state-run Fars news agency.