Bahrain Accuses Iran; Opponents Blame Bahraini Government

Bahrain claims to have arrested two suspects in a bombing earlier in July that resulted in one death. Manama has accused Tehran of training and supporting these individuals. Opponents of the Bahraini government assert that the victim was killed by security forces' gunfire. Manama also states that a third suspect has 'fled to Iran.' According to a statement from Bahrain's Ministry of Interior on July 22, two suspects have been arrested and the 'fled' suspect is one of three men. Two weeks ago, a female citizen was killed in what the Bahraini government called a 'roadside bomb explosion' in the village of 'Aker Sharqi.' The Bahraini Ministry of Interior reported that three children who were in the woman's vehicle were also injured. According to this statement, all three suspects received training from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps regarding the use of weapons and explosives, and one of them had traveled to Iran. Reuters reports that a human rights group in Bahrain has challenged the official statements, describing them as containing 'contradictory narratives.' Opposition activists on social media have claimed that witnesses saw security forces open fire when the woman's vehicle accidentally approached a royal convoy, leading to the citizen's death. Bahrain, a key ally of Saudi Arabia, has made accusations against Tehran, including inciting protests by the Shia majority against the central government. Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard, threatened the Bahraini government in a harsh statement following the revocation of a Shia cleric's citizenship, warning that this could lead to 'armed resistance' and 'the fall of the regime.' Two weeks later, on July 16, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated that Tehran does not interfere in Bahrain's internal affairs.