Iran war revives Bahrain’s conflict with Shiite Muslim majority

AI Summary

Bahraini authorities have intensified a crackdown on Shiite Muslim clerics they accuse of encouraging allegiance to Tehran, amid renewed tensions linked to the Iran war and Iranian attacks on Bahrain. The dispute reflects sectarian and political strain in a country ruled by a Sunni royal family whose population is majority Shiite.

Shaken by the accuracy ⁠of Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and support for them among some Bahrainis, authorities in the Gulf island ⁠nation have launched a crackdown on Shiite Muslim clerics they accuse of fostering allegiance to Tehran at home. Bahraini officials have framed the move in existential terms, saying Iran seeks to undermine and ultimately topple the leadership of the only Gulf country that is ruled by a Sunni Muslim family but populated mostly by Shiites. Critics, including rights...