Bahrain: Discovery of a Large Bomb-Making Workshop Linked to Iran's Quds Force

On Wednesday, the Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced the discovery of a large bomb-making workshop in the south of the capital, Manama, and the arrest of several suspects 'linked to the Quds Force' of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. According to Reuters, the Ministry stated that this bomb-making workshop was located in the village of Noudrat, south of Manama. The ministry also reported the discovery of one and a half tons of powerful explosives at the workshop. Tareq Al-Hassan, the head of Bahrain's police, attributed responsibility for this workshop to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Al-Hassan said, 'This significant discovery once again shows how Iran disrupts the security and stability of Bahrain and the wider region with its ongoing interference.' Meanwhile, according to the police chief, terrorism-related incidents in Bahrain have 'significantly increased' in 2015. Al-Hassan added, 'The professionalism in making explosives, concealing, and embedding them is a clear sign of international support' for this incident. Bahrain is a small and sparsely populated country located south of Iran on the Persian Gulf. Although the majority of its population are Shia Muslims, the government has been in the hands of the Sunni Al Khalifa family for years. Iran supports the Shia population in Bahrain, but the Bahraini government links this support to backing 'terrorist' groups and actions, such as some bombings in the country. In recent years, the Bahraini government has repeatedly claimed to have uncovered 'conspiracies' allegedly planned by the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly by the Quds Force, the IRGC's overseas branch. The remarks made by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, regarding the political situation in Bahrain have always faced strong protests from the Bahraini government.