Bahrain has banned commemorations of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the upcoming Ashura holy day as the Gulf reacts to the latest round of escalation in the US-Israel-Iran war. 

What happened: Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa convened a meeting on Sunday to discuss preparations for Ashura, commemorated as a day of mourning for Shiite Muslims. Sheikh Rashid, a member of the ruling family, said this year’s Ashura, on June 25, comes at a time of “tense security conditions and blatant Iranian attacks.” He said any commemoration of the late leader is “prohibited,” saying authorities “will not leave room for those who work to politicize the occasion, disrupt public order, violate the law, raise banners, repeat slogans related to regional agendas and organizations,” the official Bahraini News Agency reported. 

Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on Feb. 28, the first day of the US-Israel-Iran war. He was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. 

Khalifa accused Iran of promoting a “duality of citizenship” in the country and compromising the loyalty of Bahraini citizens.