US Think Tank Reveals How Iran Smuggles Weapons to Bahrain

Iran illegally transferred weapons to Bahrain, according to a new report by the "Atlantic Council", published on Tuesday, 1 Dec, entitled "A guide to illicit Iranian weapon transfers."

The report provides a comprehensive field study of Iranian weapons entering Bahrain, based on a secret assessment of Iran's Arms Procurement Network.

Through analyzing more than 250 photos, the report indicated that these smuggling operations are considered a useful evidence of the validity of Iranian military intervention in supporting the armed groups in the region.

Within the framework of this results, the report highlights the steps the international community must take to increase transparency, strengthen surveillance systems, and deter the smuggling  of illegal weapons from any destination.

This move aims at pressuring Iran to abide by international laws, designed to mitigate the illicit proliferation of weapons, ensuring that the UN team system is properly funded, providing specialized technical assistance to it upon request, and allocating part of its foreign aid budgets to support specialized organizations and investigations.

It also aims at standardizing third-party verification of illegal material, recovered from armed non-state actors by facilitating access to United Nations committees and independent organizations for investigation.

The steps should also include establishing regional and international mechanisms to promote the equitable exchange of information between interested governments with access to different aspects of the illicit arms trade.

It is noteworthy that Bahrain has always stressed the need for the international community to take resolute measures against Iran over its hostile actions, which pose a serious threat to regional security and peace.

The Atlantic Council has deleted the report, "A guide to illicit Iranian weapon transfers," without giving any reasons.