Amnesty International reported more than 1,000 arrests in the Gulf states
In the Persian Gulf countries and Jordan, where U.S. military bases are located, authorities restricted the filming and dissemination of footage related to the Iranian strikes. According to France 24, citing Amnesty International, more than 1,000 people have been arrested in these countries since the conflict began on February 28.
France 24 reports that Iran has repeatedly struck U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan in response to attacks by the U.S. and Israel. The outlet geolocated a video of an explosion in Kuwait that was shared on Telegram on July 16: the footage was recorded from the Iraqi border town of Umm Qasr.
Amnesty International regional researcher Mahmoud Shalabi stated that Gulf countries have imposed blanket bans on photographing and videotaping Iranian attacks and on the dissemination of such materials. According to him, more than 300 people were arrested in Bahrain between May 20 and 26, and at least 34 individuals received prison sentences ranging from three to ten years for posting photos or videos on Instagram.
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In Kuwait, between April and May, more than 200 people received suspended sentences or prison terms ranging from one to ten years. In March, UAE authorities reported the arrest of 375 people; Amnesty also documented searches and phone inspections in areas where drone strikes occurred. Bahrain announced the revocation of citizenship for 69 people whom the authorities accused of sympathizing with Iranian attacks or having contacts with foreign parties. Kuwait announced the revocation of citizenship for over 1,000 people without explaining the reasons.
According to France 24, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan initially claimed to have intercepted the attacks, although the geolocation of the video and available satellite imagery indicated in some cases that targets had been hit. The publication reported the geolocation of the aftermath of strikes near a U.S. radar facility on Al-Dukhan Hill and Isa Air Base in Bahrain. A comparison of Sentinel-2 images, according to France 24, also revealed damage to a building at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
