Iran: Democracy Most Enduring Solution to Crises in Bahrain, Syria

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili made the remarks on Wednesday. He stressed that democracy is the "most sustainable solution" to the crises in Bahrain and Syria.

"Regional cooperation is necessary to guarantee peace and stability in the region," Jalili added.

In relevant remarks in December, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi renewed Tehran's call for a negotiated solution to the existing crisis in Syria and Bahrain, and called on all parties to show commitment to talks.

Salehi said "national dialogue" and parties' commitment to it will be the best way out of crisis both in Syria and Bahrain.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty's over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar - were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors. So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Salehi pointed to the recent developments in Syria, and stressed the necessity for finding a political solution to the present crisis in the Muslim country.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.
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