Bahrain Court Jails Nine Accused of Working With Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Alleged Plot Against National Security

A Bahraini court has sentenced nine defendants to life imprisonment and two others to three years in jail after convicting them of collaborating with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in what authorities described as hostile and terrorist activities targeting the kingdom.

According to Bahrain’s state news agency, the court found the defendants guilty of working with the IRGC to collect intelligence on sensitive locations inside Bahrain and facilitating related financial transfers linked to the alleged operations. The convictions come amid heightened regional tensions between Iran, the United States and Gulf Arab states.

Bahraini authorities said the group had engaged in activities considered harmful to national security, including monitoring strategic sites and maintaining communication channels connected to the Iranian military organisation. The court also ordered the confiscation of materials seized during the investigation.

The ruling follows a major security operation announced by Bahrain’s Interior Ministry on May 9, in which authorities said 41 individuals with alleged links to the IRGC had been arrested. Officials claimed investigations uncovered an organised network operating in coordination with Iranian elements. Prosecutors also examined cases involving expressions of support for Iranian military actions and activities deemed threatening to public order and state security.

Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has long accused Iran of supporting militant groups and fomenting unrest in the island nation. Tehran has repeatedly denied such allegations and rejected accusations of interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs.

The latest convictions come against the backdrop of escalating confrontation in the region following military hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States earlier this year. Bahrain and several Gulf countries heightened security measures after Iranian attacks targeted locations across the region, including states hosting American military facilities.

Bahraini authorities have in recent years pursued an aggressive crackdown on individuals accused of links to foreign-backed militant organisations, arguing that such measures are necessary to protect national stability and security. Human rights organisations, however, have previously raised concerns over mass trials, terrorism-related prosecutions and the broad use of national security laws in the Gulf kingdom.

The IRGC, one of Iran’s most powerful military institutions, has frequently been accused by Gulf Arab governments and Western allies of supporting proxy groups and covert operations across the Middle East. The organisation is designated as a terrorist entity by the United States, while Iran maintains that the force is a legitimate branch of its armed forces responsible for protecting the country’s sovereignty and regional interests.

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