Bahrain arrests four accused of passing intelligence to Iran’s IRGC as Tehran’s attacks on Gulf states intensify [Getty]
Bahrain has detained four citizens accused of spying for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as Tehran’s missile and drone attacks on Gulf states continue amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Bahraini authorities identified the four suspects as Murtadha Hussain Awal, 25; Ahmed Isa Al Haiki, 34; Sarah Abdulnabi Marhoon, 36; and Elias Salman Mirza, 22.
A fifth suspect, Ali Mohammed Hassan Al Shaikh, 25, is believed to be abroad and remains free.
Investigators say that Murtadha Hussain and his associates, acting on instructions from the IRGC, used high-resolution equipment to photograph and record the coordinates of sensitive sites in Bahrain, before transmitting the data to the Iranian military force through encrypted software.
Authorities said the suspects have been referred to the country’s Public Prosecution.
The arrests come after Manama’s Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday that the Anti-Cybercrime Directorate had identified and detained six individuals for “filming and posting videos related to the aftermath of the Iranian aggression, expressing sympathy and glorifying its hostile acts”.
The ministry alleged that the videos were circulated on social media and could mislead public opinion, spread fear among citizens and residents, and undermine security and public order.
Separately, a day after the outbreak of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, the Interior Ministry said the Anti-Cybercrime Directorate had arrested an unnamed 35-year-old for “misusing social media”, although officials did not specify the nature of his activities.
Bahrain hosts the US Fifth Fleet and is among several Gulf states which have been hit by Iranian missiles and drones, with Tehran claiming to be acting in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes.
On Thursday, Bahraini authorities advised residents to remain indoors after an Iranian attack on fuel tanks, which Bahrain said was an Iranian attempt to disrupt global energy markets.
“The blatant Iranian aggression targeted fuel tanks at a facility in Muharraq Governorate,” the Interior Ministry said in a post on X.
The ministry urged residents in three areas of Muharraq to remain inside their homes and close windows and ventilation openings as a precaution against smoke from the fire that emergency services were attempting to extinguish.
Earlier in the week, an Iranian strike on a residential area in Manama killed one person and injured several others.
