Bahrain Arrests 41 People Accused of Links to Iran’s IRGC

Bahrain has arrested 41 people accused of links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to announcements from multiple monitors citing Bahraini authorities. The Interior Ministry said legal proceedings are under way against those detained. It did not specify the exact charges in the public statements reviewed.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement warning against further Iranian interference in the kingdom and other Gulf neighbors. The statement accused Iran of employing espionage cells linked to the IRGC and Lebanese Hezbollah to undermine Bahrain’s sovereignty.

It called on Iran to comply with its obligations under international law and to cease aggressive acts, including the use of terrorist proxies and militias that target maritime navigation and threaten the Strait of Hormuz. Such practices “represent a direct threat to international navigation, energy supply chains, food security, global trade, and regional peace,” the ministry said.

In late April Bahrain stripped the citizenship of 69 people after accusing them of sympathizing with Iran and colluding with foreign entities. The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy called the citizenship revocations a dangerous violation of international law. No publicly released evidence has documented the specific links alleged in the latest arrests.

The latest detentions follow several earlier rounds of arrests in March targeting individuals accused of spying for the IRGC. Bahrain has said it will continue its investigations and take legal action against anyone found involved with the alleged IRGC-linked group.

A fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire reached on April 8 remains in effect. The announcement comes as the United States awaits a formal response from Iran on a proposal to end the war.