Bahrain Calls for Restoration of Diplomatic Relations with Iran

Following the visit of Bahrain's Foreign Minister to Tehran to attend the funeral of Ebrahim Raisi, the former president of the Islamic Republic, the King of Bahrain, who is currently in Moscow, has called for the restoration of diplomatic relations between his country and Iran. Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, stated during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, June 3, that there is no reason to delay the restoration of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Manama. He further emphasized that Bahrain is seeking to improve relations with Iran. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Bahrain's Foreign Minister, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to participate in the funeral of Ebrahim Raisi, 13 years after the severance of relations between the two countries. Previously, the two countries had engaged in negotiations to restore relations, and last June, Barbara Leaf, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, announced that Bahrain would likely soon resume its diplomatic relations with Iran. A Bahraini Shia group claimed responsibility for a recent drone attack on the Israeli port of Eilat. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and several other Arab countries, severed relations with the Islamic Republic in 2015 following an attack on the Riyadh embassy in Tehran. Over the past two years, all these countries, except Bahrain, have restored their diplomatic relations with Iran. The Sunni government of Bahrain has accused the Islamic Republic of inciting the Shia majority, which constitutes the majority of the population in this small Middle Eastern country, claiming that Iran intends to create chaos in Bahrain. During the protests known as the 'Arab Spring' in 2011 across several Arab-speaking countries, Bahrain also faced widespread protests and accused Iran of organizing these protests. These protests were suppressed with the intervention of Saudi military forces in Bahrain. Bahrain also hosts the largest U.S. naval base in the Middle East and is the only Arab country in the region that is a member of the U.S.-led coalition to counter Houthi attacks supported by Iran on ships in the Red Sea.