🔶 Bahrain did not accept participating in the Hormuz meeting with Iran present

🔶 Bahrain did not accept participating in the Hormuz meeting with Iran present

Bahrain said it will not take part in the planned meeting with Iran and the Arab countries bordering the Persian Gulf about the Strait of Hormuz, unless diplomatic relations between Tehran and Manama are restored again.

The Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that this country “will not be a party to any group meeting with Iran ‘before the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.’”

The position was announced after Iranian officials said a meeting would be held in Muscat, the capital of Oman, to discuss shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

In its statement, the Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to attacks against the country since the start of the Iran war with the United States and Israel on February 28. The ministry also recalled the targeting of the Saudi Arabia’s East–West pipeline and said that talks cannot ignore realities.

Since the start of the war, Bahrain has been the target of Iran’s missile and drone attacks.

Manama said that any arrangement regarding the Strait of Hormuz must ensure the right of transit passage for all ships without discrimination, without fees, and without the need for authorization.