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Despite official denials that eight Bahrainis have been detained in Saudi Arabia for allegedly spying for Iran, the incident could exacerbate regional tensions.

Bahraini officials denied reports June 16 that eight Bahrainis have been detained in Saudi Arabia since Feb. 29. A report published June 15 by Elaph, a London-based, Saudi-owned Arabic-language news Web site, said Saudi authorities arrested eight Bahrainis — most of whom were teachers — near a military base in Riyadh. It added that the Bahrainis have been found guilty of spying for Iran and face the death penalty.

Meanwhile, the Bahraini daily Gulf Daily News reported that the Bahrainis were arrested three months ago after allegedly spying at a prohibited military zone while traveling in Saudi Arabia. According to the Bahraini report, the suspects accused of being spies are all teachers in their late 20s to mid-30s and will face court in the next few days, and could be sentenced to die. The government of Bahrain and the alleged spies’ relatives have denied any connection between the suspects and Iran. Speaking to Pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz denied reports of the arrests.