Bahrain won't attend meeting on Hormuz in Oman

Bahrain won't attend meeting on Hormuz in Oman Bahrain has announced it would not participate in the meeting scheduled for Monday in Oman between Iran and Gulf states regarding the Strait of Hormuz, according to AFP.

In a statement, Bahrain's foreign ministry said that Bahrain "will not be a party to any collective meeting involving Iran prior to the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries".

Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 alongside Saudi Arabia during an earlier crisis between the regional rivals. While Riyadh restored ties in 2023, Manama is yet to do so.

Pointing to attacks on infrastructure across the Gulf, the ministry said that security and stability in the region "cannot be preserved through a policy of appeasement" and called for Hormuz to be open without "discrimination, fees or permits".

Iran's foreign ministry had said there would be a meeting on Monday hosted by Muscat where the future of the strait, vital for global oil and gas flows, would be negotiated.

Bahrain emphasised that "dialogue cannot be based on ignoring realities," noting that, during the war, it had been subjected to attacks launched by Iran that targeted its infrastructure and civilian assets.

Reporting by AFP