Bahrain’s High Criminal Court on Monday handed 10-year prison sentences to 12 citizens accused of supporting Iranian missile and drone strikes against the Gulf kingdom. According to a statement released by the state-run news agency BNA, the defendants were convicted of endorsing "terrorist attacks," documenting prohibited vital infrastructure, and spreading "false news" on social media platforms during the recent military escalation between Tehran and Manama.

The harsh sentences come amid massive domestic crackdowns across the Gulf state, which rights groups say have involved arbitrary citizenship revocations and torture. Tensions originally exploded in late February after a joint US-Israeli air campaign targeted Iran and killed over 3,000 people, including its top leadership. In response, Iran launched extensive retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and neighboring western-aligned Gulf networks while choking commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The judicial iron fist coincides with major diplomatic shifts, following Washington’s announcement that an agreement with Iran has been finalized to halt the multi-front war. The comprehensive deal secures a permanent cessation of military attacks, the lifting of the aggressive US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

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