The U.S. Navy is monitoring "closely" the security situation in Bahrain after rioting in Shiite Muslim areas of the Persian Gulf monarchy, according to a Navy spokesperson.
"The safety and security of our military personnel is paramount," a Navy spokesperson with the U.S. Fifth Fleet told Zawya Dow Jones Monday.
Bahraini security forces were forced to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse rioters in Shiite Muslim areas of Bahrain last week that resulted in multiple arrests and the death of one protester, Agence France-Press reported Sunday.
Bahrain is the home of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, the largest foreign naval presence in the Persian Gulf region. The Gulf state's Sunni rulers have come under increasing pressure to give more political rights and representation to the country's majority Shiite population.