U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is warning Iran to stop meddling in Bahrain and other Arab states in the Persian Gulf, and she's calling on Bahraini authorities not to use force against anti-government protests.

Clinton says Iran is "undermining peace and stability" in the Gulf. But she also says Bahrain's attempt to quell demonstrations by force with the help of its Arab neighbors was not a solution.

The Sunni minority monarchy in the kingdom is facing growing opposition from the Shiite-majority population. Bahrain has accused Shiite-majority Iran of fomenting the protests that seek to end the monarchy.

Clinton spoke in Paris on Saturday after an international conference on the crisis in Libya.