Bahrain sends most government workers home to 'keep streets clear' as Iran conflict intensifies
Bahrain, home to the US Central Command's regional base, issued public safety guidance on Sunday in the wake of American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The Gulf nation is strategically close to Iran. It hosts US personnel and military officials and established ties with Israel several years ago.
"In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," an Interior Ministry statement read.
Manama also said 70 per cent of government employees, including those in ministries and government agencies, will work from home, starting immediately, following the US attacks.
Emergency staff are excluded from the order, Bahrain's Civil Service Bureau said.
"A remote working system will be activated across ministries and government agencies, with a 70 per cent work-from-home capacity," the official Bahrain News Agency said after the US bombed Iran.
Nearly 9,000 defence personnel are stationed in Bahrain, including military and civilian staff. The US Navy's Fifth Fleet provides security to ships and aircraft in the region.
Kuwait emergency plan
In a similar development, the Kuwaiti Finance Ministry said on Sunday it has activated its emergency plan to ensure the continuity of financial and service operations with high efficiency.
The measures included preparing shelters in the building of the ministries' complex, which will accommodate about 900 people, and providing warehouses to be used when necessary.
Kuwait hosts a major American military base, Camp Arifjan, which is south-east of the capital, Kuwait city. It was established in 1999 and provides primary logistics for US military operations across the region.
Iran has previously threatened to target US military bases in the region if Washington intervened on Israel's side.
Bahrain and other Gulf states also lie near Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor, which has reportedly been the target of Israeli strikes. Their proximity, just across the narrow waters of the Gulf, has raised regional security concerns, especially amid fears of radioactive fallout or wider escalation.
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