Iran threatens Bahrain’s royal family over stripping Shia cleric of citizenship

Qassem Suleimani, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, on Monday threatened Bahrain’s royal family, saying it had crossed a “red line” by stripping a top Shia cleric of Bahraini citizenship.

“Al-Khalifa [the rulers of Bahrain] will definitely pay the price for that and their bloodthirsty regime will be toppled,” warned Suleimani, who heads the Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds Force.

Soleimani accused the Bahraini royal family of committing “racist practices”, arresting political and religious leaders, imprisoning women and children and violating their civil rights.

The Bahraini interior ministry announced on Monday that the citizenship of Sheikh Isa Qassim had been revoked, accusing him of sowing sectarian divisions.