Manama: Allegations that Iran is behind the smuggling of weapons, such as high-grade explosives and firearms, to terrorists in Bahrain have been supported by a senior US military commander.

Vice Admiral John Miller, who was the head of the US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet until last week, said there was evidence to support the claims and described the allegations as “legitimate”.

Iran has denied supplying weapons to radicals in Bahrain, despite several high-profile arrests of individuals alleged to have received funding and training from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or Iranian proxies such as Hizbollah.

However, Vice Admiral Miller said the evidence suggested radical anti-government factions in Bahrain were receiving arms from Iran.

“It seems to be that there is pretty good evidence that has been presented by the Bahraini government that it is in fact weaponry that does have a lineage that they have traced back to Iran,” he told the GDN in an exclusive interview.

“That seems to me to be a legitimate claim.”

He also revealed the US Navy was looking into Saudi allegations that the IRGC was operating an organised crime network in Gulf waters targeting civilian seafarers, but reassured Gulf countries that the signing of the nuclear deal with Iran would not have a significant impact on broader regional security.

“I don’t think I would be overly concerned about it,” he said. 

“They (GCC countries) are concerned, we are concerned. We are going to keep an eye on it, they are going to keep an eye on it – but we are going to do that together.”