Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa slammed the speech at the UN General Assembly delivered by US President Barack Obama, in which the kingdom was placed in the same bracket with Iraq and Syria.

President Obama said that the US would continue its efforts to resolve sectarian tensions that continue to surface in places like Iraq, Syria and Bahrain.

Al Khalifa rejected the comparison, and said in a statement on Thursday that "Throughout its long history, the Kingdom of Bahrain has fostered a culture of tolerance, moderation and coexistence between various religious and ethnic communities that constitute its society; the climate in the country today bares no equivalence to the sectarian conflicts occurring in Syria and Iraq."

The minister clarified that what is occurring in Bahrain today is "concerted effort by terrorist extremist groups to target security personnel and expatriates with the intent of spreading fear and division within Bahrain's society, as well as targeting Bahrain's national economy and development."

Al Khalid said Bahrain's response to these efforts is within the rule of law, which protects the right of all.