MANAMA, Bahrain — A Bahraini court has sentenced nine defendants to life imprisonment and two others to three years in prison after convicting them of cooperating with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to carry out what authorities described as “hostile and terrorist acts” against the kingdom.
Bahrain’s state news agency said the defendants were accused of gathering information on sensitive and strategic sites and helping arrange financial transfers connected to the alleged operations. Prosecutors said some of the activity involved photographing vital facilities, recruiting people inside Bahrain and moving funds from Iran, including through cryptocurrency channels.
The ruling comes amid heightened tensions between Bahrain and Iran following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran earlier this year. Bahraini authorities have intensified arrests and prosecutions of people accused of links to Tehran, saying such networks pose a direct threat to national security.
According to reports, Bahrain began arresting individuals allegedly connected to Iran in March, shortly after the regional conflict escalated. Authorities have accused Tehran and the IRGC of trying to exploit unrest and target strategic sites in Gulf states that host U.S. military facilities. Iran has repeatedly denied interfering in Bahrain’s internal affairs, while Manama has long accused Tehran of supporting militant cells and opposition networks inside the island kingdom.
The latest life sentences add to a series of recent convictions tied to alleged Iranian cooperation. Earlier this month, a Bahraini court sentenced 24 defendants in separate cases linked to espionage, sabotage and support for Iranian attacks. In another case, 16 people were convicted of offences associated with alleged collaboration with Iran, including two who received life terms.
Bahrain, a close U.S. ally and home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has faced periodic unrest since the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which were led largely by the country’s Shia majority demanding political reforms. The Sunni-led government accused Iran of encouraging the unrest, a claim rejected by opposition groups and rights activists.
Human rights organisations have often criticised Bahrain’s security trials, alleging due process violations, coerced confessions and the use of terrorism charges against dissidents. Bahraini officials reject those accusations, saying prosecutions target genuine security threats rather than political opinion.
The court’s decision is likely to deepen diplomatic tension between Manama and Tehran at a time when the wider Gulf remains on edge. For Bahrain, the sentences are being presented as part of a broader counterterrorism campaign. For critics, they raise fresh concerns about transparency, political repression and the fairness of national-security prosecutions.
