Bahrain's Declaration of War on Iran: Reality or False Exaggeration?

This is a title that several domestic media outlets, including Mehr News Agency, have recently reported, citing the Bahraini newspaper Al-Ayam in one of their news headlines. Such news is astonishing in itself, both in terms of the country declaring war on Iran and in terms of why such news did not receive widespread media coverage globally. Interestingly, in response to this news, Rasoul Sanaei Rad, the political deputy of the IRGC, stated sharply that "the stature of the Bahrainis does not allow them to execute the folly of war with Iran, and we recommend that they take the fate of Saddam as a lesson." The issue of Bahrain's declaration of war on Iran, which some (not all) domestic media have addressed, raises the question of how serious it is and how much is a media ploy? The report that Mehr News Agency relayed from Al-Ayam merely states that "Iran and its affiliated groups, particularly the terrorist group Hezbollah, must cease all their actions against Arab countries and the member states of the Cooperation Council and also end their interventions in Bahrain's internal affairs." The news further states that "the Bahraini parliament supports all actions aimed at security and stability in Bahrain and combating violence and extremism." If the content of this news is limited to this, how can it be interpreted as a declaration of war? If a country like Bahrain has declared war on a country the size of Iran, why have other international or Arab media refrained from covering it? In other words, if this news was only published in one Bahraini newspaper, why should multiple domestic media outlets, including Mehr News Agency, exaggerate it? Interestingly, when we refer to the content of the news, it becomes clear that the report is nothing more than the Bahraini parliament's support for all actions aimed at security and stability in Bahrain and combating violence and extremism. Interpreting all actions, including a declaration of war against Hezbollah and Iran, is certainly a broad interpretation. We know that declaring war is a serious action that countries undertake with utmost clarity and usually through an official statement. Neither such clarity is found in the Bahraini parliament's statement, nor has an official statement been issued in this regard. So why have some domestic media exaggerated it, and why has the IRGC reacted to it? As mentioned, one cannot find explicit wording in the Bahraini parliament's statement that can be interpreted as a declaration of war against Iran and Hezbollah. This news is more a fabrication of some domestic media than a position of Bahrain. It is interesting to note that almost none of the reformist-affiliated media have reported this news. Given these indications, it seems that the reflection of this news in this manner and the IRGC's sharp reaction is similar to the missile launches by the IRGC that we have witnessed in recent months, during which missiles were tested with the slogan "Israel must be wiped out." Missile testing is one issue, and threatening another country with destruction is another. Such provocative actions by the IRGC, more than a threat to Israel, aim to undermine Rouhani's government. If Bahrain had dared to declare war on Iran, it would have been obvious that any appropriate reaction would be necessary, but the exaggeration of news that has no basis in reality is nothing but a means of "escalating tensions" in the region. It is clear that the media and institutions opposing Rouhani's government are pursuing a policy of escalating tensions to undermine his policy of "constructive engagement." While Rouhani's government policy is aimed at de-escalation with the surrounding world and has concluded the twelve-year nuclear crisis with the JCPOA, his domestic opponents benefit from creating tensions with the outside world. Opposition to the JCPOA and missile launches by the IRGC with the slogan of destroying Israel are previous examples, and inflaming the media atmosphere with the claim that Bahrain has declared war on Iran is a recent example of destructive actions against Rouhani's foreign policy. Regardless of how successful Rouhani's government and his domestic opponents have been, one undeniable fact is that in the struggle between the two factions within the government, we can see the reproduction of conflicting governance. While almost six years of Ahmadinejad's eight-year presidency saw all governing bodies of the Islamic Republic, including Ayatollah Khamenei, fully supporting him, it is now clear that the institutions affiliated with the leader do not hesitate to weaken and undermine Rouhani's government. This destructive trend against the government would not be conceivable if the leader of the Islamic Republic had fully supported Rouhani. When the leader considers the JCPOA as "pure loss" and criticizes JCPOA 2 and 3 for solving the country's problems, it is obvious that the artillery of the ruling hardline faction will be directed against Rouhani's regional de-escalation policy. The reflection of the incorrect news of Bahrain's declaration of war on Iran and the IRGC's swift reaction to such news is yet another (and certainly not the last) instance of obstruction in Rouhani's foreign policy. This news is more an exaggeration of a lie than a reflection of reality.