Iran war spurs crackdown on clerics in tiny Gulf state Bahrain

The Straits Times · The Straits Times · 2026-11-06 13:38 UTC

MANAMA, Nov 6 - Shaken by the accuracy of Iran's attacks on Bahrain and support for them among some Bahrainis, authorities in the Gulf island nation have launched a crackdown on Shi'ite Muslim clerics they accuse of fostering allegiance to Tehran at home. Read more at straitstimes.com.

MANAMA, Nov 6 - Shaken by the accuracy of Iran's attacks on Bahrain and support for them among some Bahrainis, authorities in the Gulf island nation have launched a crackdown on Shi'ite Muslim clerics they accuse of fostering allegiance to Tehran at home.

Bahraini officials have framed the move in existential terms, saying Iran seeks to undermine and ultimately topple the leadership of the only Gulf country that is ruled by a Sunni Muslim family but populated mostly by Shi'ites.

Critics, including rights groups, say the arrests and the stripping of citizenship from 69 citizens of Iranian heritage are a new blow to free speech and religious freedom in a country that crushed 2011 Arab Spring pro-democracy protests.

Read the full story at The Straits Times · All coverage of this story