Bahrain's foreign minister yesterday accused Iran of eyeing the country as 'the crown jewel' in a campaign to penetrate the Gulf, and called for Arab support in confronting Tehran, according to official Egyptian media.

Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa also accused Iran of trying to garner the support of Shi'ites worldwide for its vision of a theocratic government ruled by a supreme cleric.

'Iran always looks at Bahrain as the crown jewel,' Shaikh Khalid was quoted as saying by the official Egyptian news agency Mena, adding it is the entry point into the Gulf.

'Gulf countries should not have to stand alone facing Iran, (other) Arab countries must be responsible, and Arab public must pay attention to Iran's dangers, which come under a thousand guises. The threat is grave,' he said.

Shaikh Khalid denied that the monarchy was sectarian.

'Today there is something called Wilayat al-Faqih in Iran, which it wants all Shi'ites around the world to emulate,' the foreign minister said of Iran's ruling ideology since its Islamic revolution in 1979.

Shaikh Khalid, who met his Iranian counterpart in New York last month, said he was not opposed to talks with Tehran, but it continued to 'meddle' in Arab affairs. – TradeArabia News Service