Bahrain: We will not be a party to any meeting involving Iran before the restoration of diplomatic relations
The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Saturday that “in light of media and social media reports regarding a proposed ministerial meeting on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry clarifies that the Kingdom of Bahrain will not participate in it, nor will it be a party to any collective meeting involving Iran before the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This position, which has already been communicated to our brothers in the Sultanate of Oman through official channels, does not diminish the Kingdom’s appreciation of their sincere efforts, nor its commitment to dialogue as a means of resolving differences.”
In a statement to the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the Ministry added that it believes “dialogue cannot be based on ignoring facts. The Kingdom of Bahrain has suffered attacks targeting its infrastructure and civilian assets; one such attack, which targeted an ammonia storage tank, nearly led to a comprehensive disaster. The targeting of the east-west oil pipeline in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our brotherly kingdom, on Friday confirmed that attacks on civilian and economic facilities are an imminent threat, not a matter of the past.”
It emphasized that “the security and stability of the region 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.”
It pointed out that “the Kingdom of Bahrain, while 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 them, and compensation for the damage caused; respect for the sovereignty of states and the non-use of any country’s territory as a launching pad for attacks on its neighbors; and the settlement of outstanding issues through legal means.”
It 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, safeguard the right of innocent passage for all ships without discrimination, fees, or permits, and involve all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, given the link between the security of the waterway and the security of their supply lines.”
It also stressed that “the Kingdom of Bahrain, by virtue of its membership in the UN Security Council and its commitment to joint Gulf action, will continue to work through legal and diplomatic channels to safeguard freedom of navigation and regional security. It is ready to support any arrangement that enjoys consensus and is based on the law. The Kingdom does not close the door to peace, but it does not open it at the expense of justice; peace that is not founded on justice is merely a truce awaiting its expiration.”
