Saudi Arabia said yesterday it looks forward to relations between Bahrain and Iraq based on mutual respect and which contribute to regional security and stability.

This came during a cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

In a statement, the Saudi council of ministers rejected “meddling in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and any attempt to undermine its sovereignty, security and stability”.

A crisis has erupted on Saturday between Bahrain and Iraq after leader of Iraq’s Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, called for the resignation of several Arab rulers including those in Bahrain.

Manama considered the statement a violation of its sovereignty and “an obvious violation of international law and an abuse of the nature of relations between Bahrain and Iraq”.

The Bahraini Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the deputy Iraqi Charge d’Affaires, Nihad Rajab Askar, to protest Al-Sadr’s statement and demanded an official apology.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry also demanded an official apology for a statement posted on Twitter by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Khaled Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, in which he described Al-Sadr as “foolish”.