The National, 26 March 2026: Bahrain’s Public Prosecution referred fourteen defendants to the Criminal Court after investigations concluded they had communicated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to carry out hostile acts against the Kingdom.

The Prosecution has reviewed four separate cases before determining that the defendants formed coordinated cells, including several fugitives currently in Iran and a female defendant involved in the fourth case. Prosecutors stated that the group sought assistance from the IRGC to support military or hostile activities within Bahrain, and that one defendant received military training in IRGC camps.

Charges include receiving and delivering funds to facilitate hostile operations, leaking information classified as state‑defence secrets, broadcasting false news intended to incite public fear, and monitoring and photographing vital facilities and sensitive sites for the purpose of future targeting. According to the Prosecution, the defendants completed their tasks by sending images and data to the IRGC, which were later used to target buildings and facilities inside Bahrain.

Investigators conducted extensive interrogations, during which some defendants provided detailed confessions. Technical devices were examined, and witness testimonies were taken before the Prosecution concluded that the crimes were proven. The defendants were ordered into pretrial detention pending their appearance before the High Criminal Court.

Reports also noted that several suspects abroad remain under investigation, and the case forms part of a wider national‑security crackdown on foreign‑linked espionage operations targeting the Kingdom.

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