Sept. 21 (UPI) — Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said Sunday that the country prevented an Iran-backed terror attack.
Local media reported that the plot was backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in retaliation for the killing of its former commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike in January.
“The Ministry of Interior managed to thwart a huge terrorist plot in the Kingdom of Bahrain that received support and funding from Iran and members of the terrorist Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Akhbar Al-Khaleej media said.
Bahrain’s security forces said they found an explosive device in the Badei area targeting a visiting foreign delegation.
Officials said that they seized the explosives and additional “projectiles” from the scene.
A criminal indictment was filed against 18 defendants including nine alleged fugitives from Iran.
The attack comes after the current head of the IRGC, Hossein Salami, threatened to target all parties involved in the killing of Soleimani.
Tensions have also heightened after the United States brokered a deal for Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel earlier this month.
