Bahrain says three sentenced to life over Iran spying charges

On 14 July 2026, Bahraini authorities said three people had been sentenced to life in prison on charges of spying for Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

The prosecution said the three defendants were charged with colluding with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and its operatives to help hostile and terrorist acts against Bahrain and harm the kingdom's interests. It said the court sentenced all three to life imprisonment.

The sentences are the latest case in what the source describes as a crackdown on Iran-linked cells. The source says Gulf states have moved against alleged IRGC-linked cells since the war began, and that Bahrain has also cracked down on people expressing support or sympathy for Tehran.

Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni Muslim dynasty and has a large Shia population. The source says the Shia population has long complained of marginalisation. Bahraini activists say some people have been accused of espionage and that hundreds of mostly Shia Muslims have been arrested. Bahrain has denied targeting citizens because of their religious identity.