Bahrain ends diplomatic ties with Iran after Saudi embassy attack

Bahrain has followed Saudi Arabia by severing diplomatic ties with Iran after an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

Bahrain's Minister for Media Affairs, Isa al-Hamadi, made the announcement and said Iranian diplomats would have 48 hours to leave the island nation.

"Bahrain decided to break off diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and calls upon all members of the mission to leave the kingdom within 48 hours," news agency BNA said.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with regional rival Iran on Sunday after Iranian protesters attacked its mission there, angered by the Sunni Muslim kingdom's decision to execute a leading Shi'ite cleric.

Iran is the main Shi'ite power.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also announced it was downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and limiting the number of Iranian diplomats in the country, state news agency WAM reported.

"The UAE has decided to reduce the level of diplomatic representation with the Islamic Republic of Iran to the level of a charge d'affaires and to reduce the number of Iranian diplomats in the country," WAM said.