Bahrain Announces New Measures to Counter Iranian 'Interventions'

Bahrain has announced new security measures to confront what it calls Iranian interventions and the 'terrorist threat' in the emirate. According to AFP, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior of Bahrain, stated on Sunday, February 21, that as part of these measures, there will be increased monitoring of financial transactions and foreign travel. A committee will be formed under the Ministry of Interior to limit the travel of Bahraini citizens to 'unsafe countries.' The Ministry of Interior has stated that teenagers aged 14 to 18 will be under closer scrutiny. Bahrain, which hosts the fifth U.S. naval base, has faced internal crises since 2011 due to protests and discontent among its Shiite majority. The Sunni government of Manama accuses its northern neighbor, Shiite Iran, of supporting the opposition in the emirate. Four months ago, Bahrain announced the 'discovery of a terrorist gang linked to Tehran' and reported the arrest of 76 suspects. The Minister of Interior stated on Sunday that the emirate has accused the suspects based on 'strong evidence.' Recently, Bahrain again labeled the Shiite movement Hezbollah of Lebanon, an ally of Iran, as a 'terrorist group.' In recent days, Bahrain has also reiterated its support for Saudi positions in the region; it deemed Saudi Arabia's decision to suspend military aid to Lebanon due to the Lebanese government's silence on Saudi-Iran tensions as 'correct' and announced that if a ground coalition force is established for deployment to Syria, Bahrain will also be part of it. Following Saudi Arabia, Bahrain cut its relations with Iran a month and a half ago. Bahrain has also announced that it has suspended all its flights to Iran and is preventing Iranian ships from entering its waters. Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia has begun the trial of 32 individuals on charges of 'spying for Iran' starting Sunday, February 21; one of the defendants holds Iranian nationality, while thirty are Saudi Shiites and the last defendant is Afghan. In this context, the possibility of confrontation between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council, the military balance between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, 'prevents Iranian ships from entering their waters.' Several individuals are being tried in the UAE and Bahrain on charges of 'connections with Iran and Hezbollah.' King Salman has stated that other countries should not interfere in Saudi internal affairs.