RABAT, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Morocco has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran on Friday following Tehran's remarks over Bahrain, a press release of the Foreign Ministry said.

    The decision was triggered by Iran's "inadmissible attitude" against Morocco, and its "interference" in the country's religious affairs, the release was quoted by official MAP news agency as saying.

    The move came after the north African country recalled last week its representative in Tehran for consultations for a one-week period after Iran issued a release containing "unacceptable language" against Morocco.

    Ali Akbar Nateq Nuri, a prominent member of Iran's powerful Expediency Council, said on Feb. 20 that Bahrain used to be Iran's14th province.

    Tensions between Shiite Iran and much of the Sunni Muslim world were intensified by the remarks. Bahrain, despite having a Shiite majority population, is ruled by the Sunni Khalifa family.

    Like many other Sunni countries, Morocco has voiced strong solidarity with Bahrain after the top Iranian official questioned the Gulf country's sovereignty.

    In response, Morocco's King Mohammed sent a message to the Bahraini King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa, with "full support for the unity and territorial integrity of the brotherly Kingdom of Bahrain," a Foreign Ministry statement said last week.

    "Morocco is astonished by the odd treatment the kingdom has been subject to by Iranian authorities," the ministry said.

    Morocco's Foreign Minister Taib Fassi Fihri summoned Iran's ambassador Vahid Ahmadi, expressing his displeasure and Morocco's opposition of Iran's stance.

    Morocco's solidarity with Bahrain was based on international law, Fassi Fihri said.

    Morocco's relations with Iran were previously cut in the early 1980s, when Morocco hosted the exiled shah after Shiite took power in Iran.

    Relations had not been normalized until the two countries exchanged envoys in the late 1990s.