Hawzah News Agency- the Italian Institute for International Relations Analysis stated that Bahrain may move toward adopting a more neutral approach toward Tehran in line with the emerging regional order that Iran is seeking to establish in the Persian Gulf after the defeat of US aggression.
In a report published on its website, the institute noted that Bahrain's economic, social and geopolitical system has entered a crisis phase under the pressure of domestic unrest. The American presence transformed from a supportive factor into a threatening one during the war, as US military bases became legitimate targets for Iranian strikes, resulting in Iranian missiles and drones flying over Bahraini territory.
The report highlighted that Manama's complete reliance on the United States was the reason it sustained heavy blows, as the war exposed that Bahrain is nothing more than a platform Washington uses to carry out its military operations. The presence of the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain also made the country a prime target for Iranian responses, particularly after the conflict extended to the Strait of Hormuz, where targeting American naval assets became a military necessity for Tehran.
The institute added that Persian Gulf littoral states were subjected to a series of attacks since the American and Zionist aggression against Tehran on February 28, 2026, and the subsequent targeting of American bases stationed across the region. Bahrain was among the countries that sustained the most attacks, with videos circulating of citizens expressing solidarity with Iran after American bases inside the country were struck.
The think tank said the war prompted Bahraini authorities to accelerate their security crackdown, with more than four hundred Shia citizens detained over the past four months and several stripped of their citizenship. Seyyed Mohammad al-Mousavi also died after being tortured by Bahraini authorities, marking yet another sign of intensifying repression in the country since the 2011 protests.
The report emphasized the deepening sectarian divide within Bahrain following the regional war, noting that Shias make up approximately 60 percent of the population, while authorities view their religious loyalties as a threat to the ruling Al Khalifa system.
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