Event of the Week (Saturday – May 16, 2026): “The Bahrain Defence Force” Challenges… But Through Statements… The Al Khalifa Family’s Rush Toward the Final Gamble: To Be or Not to Be
The so-called Bahrain Defence Force (the army) has become accustomed to issuing a fixed statement every two days, announcing military preparedness and complete readiness for combat.
This has raised a series of questions, along with a wave of mockery in light of the scale of damage suffered by military bases in Bahrain in the wake of the aggression against Iran.
Since the announcement of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States in April 2026, the “Defence Force” has begun publishing periodic statements containing three matters:
First: announcing the readiness of its forces for combat.
Second: urging citizens not to approach strange objects presumed to be remnants of the war.
Finally: announcing that the relevant authorities are dealing with those objects.
Analysts say that the content of the statement does not justify its repeated publication at such close intervals, as monitoring showed that the official news agency, as well as the “Defence Force” accounts, published the statement within a time span not exceeding 48 hours. Usually, this type of military communiqué is intended to deliver a dual declaration aimed at deterring the “enemy” on one hand, and preparing for attack on the other.
However, this is unconvincing given the limited military weight of the Al Khalifa regime, in addition to its absolute dependence on the Americans regarding any hostile act launched from Bahrain — a matter that has become governed by new equations of power imposed by Iran, different from the situation that existed before last February 28.
The Al Khalifa Family’s Rush Toward the Final Gamble: To Be or Not to Be
Observers believe that this regular military communiqué is intended for internal rather than external purposes, and that its aim is to form part of propaganda directed at intimidating the people of Bahrain within the framework of the campaign of oppression and “purging” — as the tyrant Hamad described it — which reached its peak with citizenship revocations and mass deportations, culminating on Saturday, May 9, which witnessed an open assault targeting the structure of the religious community, including its symbols, pulpits, and rituals, as part of ongoing retaliation against what the regime described as citizens’ sympathy with Iran during the American-Zionist war imposed upon it.
On the other hand, observers point out that there is a plan to turn Bahrain, similar to the UAE, into an open platform for the Americans and the Israelis, so that it may serve as their open gateway for controlling the Gulf and managing their future schemes.
In practical terms, the Al Khalifa family is rushing to carry out this role, with all that it requires in terms of overt hostility toward Iran and the Axis of Resistance, placing themselves before a historic gamble that will determine their final fate, forever.
