Lebanon backs Bahrain as citizenship revocations target people over security concerns

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that it stands in solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain, as the Gulf state moves to revoke the citizenship of dozens of individuals over alleged security concerns.

“Lebanon’s solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain regarding the measures it is taking to safeguard its national security and preserve its stability, in the face of anything that infringes on its sovereignty or constitutes interference in its internal affairs,” read the statement.

The ministry also reiterated “Lebanon’s commitment to the principles of Arab solidarity,” stressing that “protecting national security and confronting any activities that may threaten civil peace is a sovereign internal matter for Bahrain.”

This comes after Bahrain invoked revoked the citizenship of 69 individuals, last Monday, for their support of Iran after weeks of Iranian attacks on Gulf states beginning in late February.

The Ministry in a statement listed the dozens stripped of their citizenship, which it said included dependents, adding they "were found to have supported hostile Iranian acts, including colluding with foreign entities."

The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) described the decision as "the first mass revocation of citizenship since 2019."

The rights group said it was unclear whether those affected had been arrested, whether they were inside or outside the country, or whether they held other nationalities.

Iran launched waves of missile and drones against Gulf states including Bahrain in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic that began on Feb. 28.

Tehran accused them of allowing the U.S. to use their territory as launchpads for strikes.

The Iranian attacks, which targeted U.S. military bases in the region as well as critical infrastructure in the Gulf states, have halted since a fragile April 8 cease-fire announced by Washington and Tehran.