Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman arrived in Bahrain on Monday, US officials said, a day before Bahrain declared martial law following weeks of protest by the Gulf Arab country’s Shiite Muslim majority.

Feltman was urging all sides to act responsibly and allow a credible dialogue to take place, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said. Feltman had ended another visit to Bahrain earlier this month.

“One thing is clear: there is no military solution to the problems in Bahrain. A political solution is necessary and all sides must now work to produce a dialogue that addresses the needs of all of Bahrain’s citizens,” Vietor said when asked for comment on Bahrain declaring martial law.

“We urge all parties to act responsibly and allow the space needed for such a credible dialogue to take place. That is where we are focusing our energy. We have a senior State Department official — Assistant Secretary Feltman — working the issue aggressively on the ground as we speak,” Vietor said.

Saudi Arabian forces arrived in Bahrain on Monday to help restore calm after weeks of protests by Shiites in the island kingdom that is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Bahrain declared a three-month state of emergency, handing wholesale power to its security forces, which are dominated by the Sunni elite, stoking tensions in one of the Gulf’s most politically volatile nations.

The White House repeated its call for calm and restraint by all sides. In a sign of tensions, a hospital source said two men were killed and more than 200 wounded in clashes in Bahrain on Tuesday.

“We are particularly concerned by the increasing reports of provocative acts and sectarian violence by all groups. The use of force and violence from any source will only worsen the situation,” Vietor said.

Bahraini Shiites — more than 60 percent of the population — complain of discrimination at the hands of the Sunni royal family. US officials have also voiced concern that the unrest could serve Iran, a Shiite power across the Gulf.