TEHRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday said Bahrain's crackdown on protesters was unjustifiable and held the United States accountable for the move, Press TV reported.

"This military invasion was a foul and doomed experience. Regional nations hold the US government accountable for such a heinous behavior," President Ahmadinejad told reporters following a cabinet session.

"The US seeks to save the Zionist regime (Israel) and suppress popular uprisings. So, it supports certain governments," he added, as cited by Press TV.

Saudi Arabia confirmed on Monday that more than 1,000 troops, part of the Gulf Cooperation Council's Peninsula Shield Force, had entered Bahrain at the request of the Manama government. On Tuesday, six people died and hundreds were injured in clashes between anti-regime protesters and Bahrain's security forces.

"How can a person rule his people while he interacts with them via arms? A government should belong to its people," President Ahmadinejad noted.

He pointed to "unjustifiable and irreversible" acts of violence against anti-government protesters in crisis-hit Bahrain and emphasized that such measures would bear no fruits.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi urged the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to support the legitimate demands of anti-government protesters in line with the international commitments of the United Nations.

Then, Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Iran after the Foreign Ministry objected to the deployment of GCC troops. In response Iran summoned the envoys of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland - which represents the United States' interest in Iran - to protest against the "U.S.-backed military intervention."

After declaring a state of emergency, the government imposed a curfew starting Wednesday, and until further notice, between 4pm and 4am local time.

The country's social unrest began after protesters called for a "Day of Rage" on February 14 to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, which returned the country to constitutional rule after the 1990s uprisings. Initially, people took to the streets to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, but later they began to call for the removal of the royal family

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family, but two-thirds of the population are Shiite. In recent years, younger Shiites have staged violent protests to complain about discrimination, unemployment and corruption.

(Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)