The War with Iran: How Bahrain Became a Battleground in Iranian-Bahraini Relations

Normalization and pragmatic development of Bahrain’s relations with Iran, oriented towards the East and multilateral cooperation, are inevitable conditions for ensuring regional stability and security, despite current conflicts and historical differences.

As tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia eased in 2022, efforts were made to reduce tensions between Iran and Bahrain and normalize relations. In recent years, with the presence of the Bahraini Foreign Minister in Tehran in June 2024, negotiations to establish a mechanism to resume relations, and Araqchi’s visit to Bahrain in October 2024, hopes for full normalization of relations had increased.

Bahrain pledged neutrality during Israel’s June 2025 attack on Iran last year and condemned the attacks on Iran in June 2025. Even before the recent war, the foreign ministers of Iran and Bahrain discussed bilateral relations, regional developments, and diplomatic relations in a telephone call.

The effects of the Iran war on Manama-Tehran relations

With the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28, 2026, Bahrain made its airspace, bases, infrastructure, and military capabilities available to the aggressors. Iran also took defensive retaliatory measures against these bases, infrastructure, and targets.

For example, from February 28 to April 1, Bahrain announced that it had intercepted and destroyed 419 drones and 186 missiles.

Bahrain’s current presence in the UN Security Council has led it to use multilateral institutions to gather international resolutions, confront Iran, and challenge Tehran’s position, mobilize global support, and maintain long-term diplomatic pressure on Tehran, paving the way for sanctions, international........

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