The US and Israel have suggested their war could bring about regime change in Iran. Some are now joking that they might have sparked it in Bahrain, a close western ally, instead.
While revolutionary fervour may be far off, tensions in Bahrain are palpable.
Hours after the US and Israeli assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed, protests against the killing of a man who was a Shia spiritual leader as well as Iran’s supreme leader spread across the Gulf island.
“There were demonstrations in many cities and villages. These were angry marches but they were peaceful,” a source in Bahrain familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Protests are rare in Bahrain, due to severe restrictions on dissent and freedom of expression. Much of the population is Shia, from the Baharna ethnic group. The group was one of the earliest adopters of Shia Islam, dating back to the 7th century.
