Four citizens accused of relaying sensitive coordinates to Tehran; regional attacks target airports and oil facilities as conflict enters 12th day
MANAMA – Bahraini authorities announced the arrest of four citizens on Thursday for allegedly spying for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Gulf region reels from a sharp escalation in Iranian retaliatory strikes.
The suspects—identified as Murtadha Hussain Awal, 25; Ahmed Isa Al Haiki, 34; Sarah Abdulnabi Marhoon, 36; and Elias Salman Mirza, 22—are accused of photographing and transmitting coordinates of vital infrastructure to the IRGC using encrypted software, according to Bahrain’s General Directorate of Criminal Investigation. A fifth suspect, Ali Mohammed Hassan Al Shaikh, 25, remains at large abroad.
The arrests come at a moment of heightened tension across the Gulf. Iranian drone and missile attacks have struck multiple targets in recent days, including fuel storage tanks in Bahrain’s Muharraq Governorate, the Port of Salalah in Oman, and areas near Dubai International Airport—one of the world’s busiest travel hubs.
In Bahrain, the Interior Ministry advised residents in Hidd, Arad, Qalali, and Samaheej to remain indoors and seal windows due to smoke from fires caused by the strikes. In Dubai, a luxury tower in the Creek Harbour district caught fire following a drone hit, though flights at Dubai International continued uninterrupted.
The unrest marks the 12th day of a widening conflict that began on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iran. Tehran has since vowed retaliation, targeting U.S. and Israeli assets, commercial shipping, and energy infrastructure across the region.
Iran has also declared a blockade on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz—a critical artery for global oil and gas trade—triggering a surge in commodity prices and rattling international markets.
The financial toll is mounting. The Pentagon reported to Congress this week that the first week of operations cost the United States $11.3 billion, including $5 billion in munitions expended over the opening weekend alone.
In a diplomatic push to contain the crisis, the UN Security Council passed a resolution Wednesday demanding an immediate halt to Iranian attacks on Gulf states. Bahrain’s UN Ambassador Jamal Alrowaiei welcomed the move, stating that “the international community is resolute in rejecting these Iranian attacks against sovereign countries… threatening the stability of a region of strategic importance to the global economy.”
Despite the resolution, no de-escalation was immediately visible on the ground.
