Bahrain: We will not participate in any collective meeting that includes Iran
Bahrain has announced that it will not participate in any proposed ministerial meeting regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, affirming that it will not be a party to any collective gathering that includes Iran prior to the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This was stated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday, which clarified that Bahrain will not join any collective meeting involving Iran until diplomatic ties are restored. This position has already been communicated to its brothers in the Sultanate of Oman through official channels, without diminishing the Kingdom’s appreciation for their sincere efforts or its commitment to dialogue as a means of resolving differences.
The Ministry noted in its statement that dialogue cannot be based on ignoring facts. The Kingdom has suffered attacks targeting its infrastructure and civilian facilities, one of which, by aiming at an ammonia storage tank, could have led to a comprehensive catastrophe. Furthermore, the Friday attack on the East-West oil pipeline in the neighboring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed that targeting civilian and economic installations is an ongoing threat, not a matter of the past.
The Ministry emphasized that regional security and stability are not built on overlooking attacks, nor are they purchased by remaining silent about their consequences, nor are they preserved through a policy of appeasement. Bahrain, adhering to good neighborliness as a legal obligation rather than a political courtesy, believes that peace rests on four indispensable pillars: the cessation of attacks, the establishment of international responsibility for such acts and reparation for resulting damages, respect for state sovereignty and the prohibition of using any country’s territory as a launching pad for attacks on its neighbors, and the resolution of outstanding issues through legal means.
The Ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s firm position that any arrangement concerning navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, endorsed by the International Maritime Organization, and must safeguard the right of innocent passage for all ships without discrimination, fees, or permits. It must also involve all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, given the link between the security of the waterway and the security of their supply lines.
The Ministry stressed that, by virtue of its membership in the UN Security Council and its commitment to joint Gulf action, Bahrain will continue to work through legal and diplomatic channels to safeguard freedom of navigation and regional security. It stands ready to support any arrangement that enjoys consensus and is grounded in international law. Bahrain does not close the door to peace, but it will not open it at the expense of justice; peace that is not founded on justice is merely a truce awaiting its expiration.
