MANAMA — Bahrain expelled a prominent Shi’a religious figure on Wednesday, accusing him of acting as a representative of influential Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani without permission.

A statement by the interior ministry said it had received information from top Iraqi government officials that Sheikh Hussein al-Najati was Sistani’s representative and had carried out activities such as fundraising in that capacity.

Bahrain, which is ruled by the Sunni al-Khalifa dynasty, accuses Iran of fomenting unrest in the country since a 2011 uprising demanding reforms.

This latest move likely adds to tensions in the tiny Gulf state, where there are clashes with police in many areas almost every day.

The interior ministry said in the statement that Najati was among 31 people stripped of their Bahraini nationality in November 2012 for reasons of national security, without explaining how he had remained in Bahrain since then.

Najati arrived to Beirut on Wednesday, according to Hizbullah’s Al-Manar TV channel.