Iran Rejects Bahrain's Claim of Arresting 14 Iranians with Fake Passports

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the claim by Bahrain's Ministry of Interior regarding the arrest of 14 Iranians with fake passports as "unverifiable and unreliable," stating that "no documents or evidence have been presented to the relevant Iranian authorities so far." Bahram Qasemi said in an interview with Fars News Agency on Sunday, September 9, that "the mere assertion that these individuals are originally Iranian and entered Bahrain with fake passports is not provable, and no further comments can be made until complete information is received on this matter." According to Mr. Qasemi, Iran and Bahrain have had no relations for several years, and there is no possibility for Iranian citizens to travel to that country. The Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Kingdom of Bahrain announced on Saturday night the arrest of 14 "Iranians" on charges of illegal entry with fake passports into the country. Abdulaziz Mayouf Al-Rumaihi stated that these individuals "entered the country using forged passports from Asian countries with fictitious names." According to this report, after the arrest of these individuals, "the employers for whom these individuals were arrested have also been summoned." Mr. Al-Rumaihi mentioned that Bahraini individuals of Iranian descent facilitated the entry of these individuals into Bahrain. Manama has repeatedly accused Tehran of supporting armed actions in the country, but Iran has denied these allegations. Last year, the Bahraini government announced that it had identified and arrested a "terrorist group linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps." According to the Bahraini government, this group was involved in an attack on a police bus, but Iran dismissed such accusations as "baseless and unfounded." In the winter of 2016, Bahrain executed three Shiites accused of killing three police officers, marking the first executions in two decades, which led to protests in the country. Bahrain has witnessed unrest and protests from the majority Shiite population for about seven years, demanding a more significant role in the governance of the country.