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Bahrain stripped dozens of people of their citizenships on Monday after accusing them of fostering anti-Iran sentiments online, marking the latest use of a controversial law that allows the government to revoke citizenships for security reasons.
The Interior Ministry said 69 people – including relatives of those accused – had lost their citizenship for allegedly “glorifying” Iran's atrocities and maintaining relations with foreign organizations.
Bahrain said the revocation was made under Article 10(3) of its citizenship law, which allows authorities to strip citizenship from people deemed to be harming the state's interests or breaching their duty of loyalty. Officials said those targeted — along with other members of their families — were all of Bahraini descent, a category that often includes natural-born citizens instead of nationals of birth.
This step follows an order issued a few days ago by the king of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who ordered officials to take action against those who “betray the nation” or undermine its security and stability, including reviewing whether people should retain their citizenship.
Kingdom of Bahrain On Tuesday he sentenced five people to life in prison and 25 others for 10 counts of espionage against Iran. The prosecutor said 25 others were sentenced separately to 10 years each for supporting Iran's “terrorist activities” in Bahrain.
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The effect of the Iranian missile strike on the installation of the Navy 5th Fleet in Bahrain is shown above. (Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The decision comes as Bahrain comes under fire from recent Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Gulf, including attacks on US military assets in the kingdom. Officials have dismissed the revocation of citizenship as a national security measure aimed at suppressing domestic support for Iran and cutting suspected links to foreign networks.
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Relations between Bahrain and Iran have long been strained, with Bahrain accusing Iran of supporting militant networks and unrest in the kingdom. The two countries severed diplomatic ties in 2016, and Bahrain's role as commander of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet has put it at the forefront of the current conflict, with Iranian strikes hitting close to home during the latest retaliatory attack.
Bahrain is also home to a large community of Iranian citizens – often referred to as Ajam – estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands.
Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa ordered officials to take action against those who “betray the nation.” (Alastair Grant – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station, damaged in the March 3, 2026 air strikes, in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Authorities have linked the crackdown to a broader campaign against what they describe as Iran-backed influence, including arrests of people suspected of sharing videos of Iranian strikes, posting pro-Iran content, or communicating with foreign groups. Bahrain also reported that it had uncovered cells tied to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, which officials said were tasked with gathering intelligence on sensitive areas within the kingdom.
Similar attacks have been reported across the Gulf since the conflict began, with hundreds of people arrested in countries including the United Arab Emirates for posting videos, photos or comments about the attack on Iran. Authorities cited security and public order laws, warning that even sharing photos of strikes could reveal sensitive information or fuel riots.
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The moves come amid a wider regional trend for governments to tighten citizenship laws for security reasons. Kuwait, for example, has revoked the citizenship of more than 70,000 people starting in 2024, with officials saying the plan is aimed at tackling fraud.
The move drew criticism from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, whose representative director Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei called it “the beginning of a dangerous era of repression” and said the verdicts were handed down without legal protections or the right to appeal.
