Bahrain declares state of emergency

Bahrain declared a state of emergency on Tuesday following weeks of unrest on the island kingdom saying the measure would come into force immediately and last three months.

Iran had denounced of the arrival of Saudi troops in Bahrain as “unacceptable” and urged the island kingdom to respond to pro-democracy demonstrators peacefully and without foreign intervention.

More than 1,000 Saudi troops rolled over the causeway that links it to the island kingdom and the United Arab Emirates also said it would send 500 police at the request of Bahrain's rulers after weeks of protests against the government and royal family.

Speaking to Vatican Radio, senior research fellow for the middle east and Africa for Chatham House, Jane Kinninmont, said she believes the influx of troops is the result of a short-term calculation.

“Bahrain is normally somewhere that tries to have a reputation as an open and liberal country,” she said, “and it’s obviously very much undermining that reputation today, especially when people see forces crossing in from Saudi Arabia.”

Listen to John Kelly’s interview with Jane Kinninmont here: