Bahrain Jails 138 People For Planning ‘Terror’ Group Linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps

Bahrain has jailed and revoked the citizenship of 138 people that allegedly plotted to form a “terror” group linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A public prosecutor confirmed the men received prison sentences ranging from three years to life for purportedly attempting to create an armed organization similar to that of Hizbullah, the Iranian proxy that virtually controls Lebanon. Amnesty International described the judgments as “outrageous” and a sign of Manama’s growing authoritarianism. While Bahrain’s population is majority Shiite, the Sunni-dominated Al-Khalifa dynasty has ruled the kingdom for some two centuries. During the 2011 Arab Spring, Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia sent military forces to Bahrain to help the regime suppress popular protests the two countries accused Tehran of fueling. Since then, the small Gulf nation, which along with Riyadh is a key United States ally, has jailed or expelled hundreds of opponents with connections to Iran. Manama also disbanded all opposition groups and the king last year granted permission for military courts to try those accused of terrorism. The Middle East’s Sunni-Shiite divide has manifested in brutal wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates spearheading a coalition of regional countries with a view to rolling back Iranian expansionism.