Iran and Bahrain have agreed to initiate negotiations on how to resume diplomatic ties that were severed eight years ago, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday. This development marks a significant step towards mending relations between the two nations.
The announcement came during a rare visit by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, to Tehran, where he participated in the “Asian Cooperation Dialogue” forum.
According to the ministry, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri, “both parties agreed to establish the necessary mechanisms to start discussions between the two countries to explore ways to resume their political relations.”
Bahrain cut diplomatic relations with Iran back in 2016 following attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate in Mashhad, northwestern Iran.
The attacks were carried out by protesters reacting to Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, a vocal opponent of the Saudi regime.
The effort to reestablish diplomatic contacts comes after Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed their relations in March 2023, facilitated by a China-brokered agreement.
Since then, Tehran has been actively seeking to restore diplomatic relations with other Arab nations, including Egypt.
Minister Al Zayani’s trip to Iran this month follows his attendance at the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who both perished in a helicopter crash on May 19.
The re-engagement of Bahrain and Iran could potentially alter the political landscape in the Middle East, as countries in the region recalibrate their diplomatic strategies following years of tensions.
