Iran-Bahrain détente to catalyze strategic balance in Persian Gulf
By Ashkan Pirzadeh
Strategic affairs expert
With the conspiracy of the United Kingdom and the collaboration of the Pahlavi regime, Bahrain separated from Iran in the 1970s. Since then, the relations between Iran and the breakaway region that was once known as Iran’s “fourteenth province” have experienced many ups and downs. The deepest rift in relations between the two countries dates back to January 4, 2016, following Saudi Arabia’s unilateral severance of diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran under the pretext of an attack on its embassy in Tehran. At that time, Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following Saudi Arabia’s policies, announced the severance of its diplomatic relations with Iran through an official statement.
Now, with the resumption of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia and their agreement to restore their friendly relations, a new chapter of reduced tension and balance in the Persian Gulf has opened for other countries in the region. The relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Bahrain, based on their shared history and commercial and cultural connections, hold strategic and geopolitical importance, to which Iran has always paid attention.
Page 2