Bahrain says it will not participate in Iran’s proposed Hormuz meeting

Iran tells Al Jazeera that Monday’s gathering is simply a motion of ‘good intentions’ towards neighbouring countries.

Bahrain says it volition not beryllium participating successful a projected gathering successful Oman betwixt Iran and different determination countries to sermon harmless transition for shipping successful the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran has efficaciously blockaded the shipping transmission passim the war, stopping Gulf lipid and state exports worldwide, but Iran’s overseas ministry said a gathering is planned connected Monday successful Muscat for “consultations” connected the strait’s future.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Saudi Arabia says East-West pipeline deed by drones launched from Iraq
• list 2 of 4Fighting re-erupts successful Yemen and civilians are paying the price
• list 3 of 4Iran-backed Houthis prehend strategical Mayun Island: Can they clasp it?
• list 4 of 4Will the Houthi attacks activate the Mecca Pact?

“In airy of what has been circulated … the Kingdom of Bahrain volition not enactment successful it,” Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said successful a connection connected Saturday.

Pointing to attacks connected infrastructure crossed the Gulf, Bahrain said that information and stableness successful the portion “cannot beryllium preserved done a argumentation of appeasement” and called for Hormuz to beryllium unfastened without “discrimination, fees oregon permits”.

Tehran has been pushing to formalise its power implicit the waterway, including perchance charging fees for passage, and has been successful negotiations with Muscat, arsenic Oman’s territorial waters besides screen Hormuz.

The strait was escaped to usage by shipping from each nations earlier the US and Israel attacked Iran precocious successful February, sidesplitting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said it maintains its committedness to dialogue, but “will not beryllium a enactment to immoderate corporate gathering that includes Iran earlier the resumption of diplomatic relations betwixt the 2 countries”.

Bahrain chopped diplomatic ties with Iran successful 2016 alongside Saudi Arabia during an earlier situation betwixt the determination rivals. While Riyadh restored ties successful 2023, Manama is yet to bash so.

‘We volition speech to our neighbours’

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, told Al Jazeera connected Saturday that the gathering is “a motion of Iran’s bully volition due to the fact that we person said each on that the information of the portion indispensable beryllium guaranteed by the countries of the region, without involution by the foreigners, without involution by the extracurricular powers”.

“This is simply a motion we volition speech to our neighbours, contempt the information that their territories, their subject bases oregon the subject bases of the United States, were utilized to onslaught Iran,” helium said.

Baghaei added that Tehran would “brief the delegations astir the results of the Iran and Oman consultations regarding the harmless transition of ships done the Strait of Hormuz”.

Reuters quality bureau quoted an unnamed elder Iranian authoritative saying that the gathering successful Oman ⁠⁠⁠⁠will beryllium ⁠⁠⁠⁠a accidental to sermon issues, but it is not expected to output a signed statement ⁠⁠⁠⁠over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim quality bureau reported that an ⁠⁠⁠⁠understanding ⁠⁠⁠⁠between Iran and Oman would not supply ⁠⁠⁠⁠for the contiguous reopening ⁠⁠⁠⁠of the strait but lone found the ground ‌‌‌‌on which it could reopen.