Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Mideast HQ, arrests dozens with alleged links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

A tenuous ceasefire appeared to be holding Saturday after the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers, while the country that hosts the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters said it arrested dozens of people it alleged were linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Friday’s attacks cast doubt on the month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect. Washington awaits Iran’s response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program. The U.S. military said Friday that its forces disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach the American blockade of Iran’s ports. Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait. On Saturday, the small Gulf island of Bahrain said it had arrested 41 people it said are part of a group affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The interior ministry said investigations were ongoing but did not provide details. Bahrain is led by a Sunni Muslim monarchy but, like Iran, has a majority Shiite population. Rights groups have said the kingdom has used the war between Iran and the U.S., which bases its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as an excuse to crack down on dissent. Iran issued a warning to Bahrain. “Siding with the U.S.-backed resolution will bring severe consequences. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline; do not risk closing it on yourselves FOREVER,” Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission of Iran’s parliament, said on social media. Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, causing a global spike in fuel prices and rattling world markets. The U.S. has imposed its own blockade of Iran’s ports. Britain deploys warship to the Middle East Britain’s defense ministry said it was deploying a warship to the Middle East to join a potential mission