King Hamad said the state would move forward “with full firmness” against “traitors” [Getty]
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain on Sunday ordered the launch of legal proceedings against those he described as “traitors,” including measures to strip Bahraini citizenship from anyone proven to have been involved in “harming the country’s security and stability”.
The directive came as the king met with a number of senior officials, where regional tensions, particularly the fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran were discussed.
King Hamad said the state would move forward “with full firmness” in addressing the consequences of the current phase, noting that Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa had been tasked with implementing comprehensive measures to address any security or economic gaps, in addition to “immediately” taking the necessary action against anyone who had “betrayed the nation.”
Gulf states were drawn into conflict immediately after the US and Israel began attacking Iran on 28 February.
Tehran hit back at the Gulf, targeting US interests including military bases after claiming that Washington was using these countries as launchpads for strikes against Iran.
But Iranian drone and missile strikes also hit civilian infrastructure including ports, hotels, and oil and gas refineries.
Bahrain was one of the states said to be hit the hardest.
Videos from Bahrain seemingly showing people cheering the attacks on the small island nation have led to dozens of arrests and calls for their citizenship to be stripped from them, citing treason and their alleged loyalty to Iran.
Bahrain is led by a Sunni Muslim monarchy but has a Shia majority, many of whom are sympathetic towards Iran. After the Arab Spring broke out in 2011, many Shias protested against the king.
The protests were violently repressed by the government, which called in troops from neighbouring Gulf countries.
King Hamad said the authorities would review citizenship cases “to examine who deserves Bahraini citizenship and who does not,” stressing that “the situation remains delicate” and requires firm decisions to protect state security.
He emphasised that Bahrain remains committed to peaceful and diplomatic solutions to resolve crises, despite what he described as “unjustified aggressions” by Iran.
