The Gulf Cooperation Council has been accelerating its crackdown on Shia Muslims, but this was no barrier in the UK signing a historic multi-billion-pound trade deal with the bloc, becoming the first G7 nation to do so.
The UK, which has backed the US/Israel’s war of choice on Iran, is celebrating the trade pact with another US ally — the GCC states, which consist of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The Financial Times reported that the:
UK has drawn praise from Gulf states” for its role in helping defend them against Iranian attacks, with British Typhoon fighter jets used to “intercept missiles and drones fired as they have flown missions over Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain.
UK exports of cereals, cheddar cheese, chocolate, and butter are just a few of the goods expected to become tariff-free, supporting British industry to grow, the UK government said. The deal is expected to boost the UK economy by an estimated £3.7 billion every year.
Blind eye to repression of Shia Muslims
The deal comes as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments are carrying out repression of increasing scale and severity.
Bahrain recently revoked the nationality of dozens of people accused of “glorifying or sympathising with hostile Iranian acts.”
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), posted on X, condemning the deal, adding that:
The deal comes as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments are carrying out repression of increasing scale and severity.
Much of this repression has been directed specifically at Shia Muslims in Bahrain.
He recently also told DW News that over 400 people had been detained in Bahrain, with Shia Muslims being the overwhelming majority, of whom dozens were convicted, and some received life sentences without fair trials.
UAE’s crackdown under cover of ‘Iran-linked terror’
Last month, Mint News Press reported that the UAE has launched a crackdown on Shia Muslims under the cover of “Iran-linked terror” claims.
In April 2026, UAE authorities announced the arrest of 27 individuals, describing them as members of a “Shia terrorist group” allegedly linked to Tehran. However, none of the detainees appear to be facing formal terrorism charges. Instead, they are accused of spreading “misleading ideas,” maintaining “foreign allegiances,” and forming a secret organisation — “vague” allegations that critics say are often used to justify political repression.
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The UAE has also been accused of deporting thousands of Pakistani Shia Muslims during the Iran war, though profiling of the minority community started much earlier — according to the Middle East Eye (MEE).
MEE also reported that Indian Shia organisations, including the All India Shia Personal Law Board, have raised concerns regarding the detention and treatment of Indian Shias by authorities in several Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The UK and the GCC are partners united by complicity. Both support the US-Israel war on Iran. Both turn a blind eye to the repression of Shia Muslims.
Featured image via Chris Jackson/Getty Images
By Nandita Lal
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