Iran Tracker

Reaction to June 2009 Iranian Presidential Election:

In June, 2009, the government of Bahrain closed the newspaper Akhbar al-Khaleej after publication of an article heavily critical of the Iranian government, in which the paper alleged Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won as a result of massive voter fraud.[1]

Nuclear:

Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has supported using diplomacy to resolve the conflict over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, but he has also said: "While [the Iranians] don't have the bomb yet, they are developing it, or the capability for it."[2] Iran’s nuclear program has complicated relations between Iran and Bahrain, as Bahrain is an ally of the United States and hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet which is responsible for U.S. naval operations in the region. [3]

In December 2008, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States – plus Germany held a meeting with eight Arab states – Bahrain Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – to discuss how the UN could apply pressure to Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment.[4]  In April 2009, US Special Adviser for the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia Dennis Ross visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar to discuss diplomatic efforts to engage Iran on its nuclear program.[5]  

In January 2010, Bahraini officials voiced support for a peaceful Iranian nuclear program during a series of high-level diplomatic talks in Tehran. Bahrain's Parliamentary Speaker Khalifa Ahmad al-Zahrani told his Iranian counterpart, Ali Larjani, that Iran has every right to possess peaceful nuclear technology.[6] Bahraini Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa hailed the diplomatic ties between Manama and Tehran, stressing the need for “peace and stability” in the region and said that the peaceful use of nuclear energy within international legal parameters was the “undeniable” right of Iran.[7] Khalifa went on to say that “some parties” want to deny regional countries access to nuclear energy and prevent countries from acquiring advanced scientific and technological capabilities.[8]

Economic Relationship:

The energy industry comprises most of Bahrain’s economic cooperation with-Iran. [9] In 2007, Manama and Tehran discussed increasing annual trade to $1 billion per year and bolstering their joint health and tourism cooperation, and the two countries proposed a large purchase of Iranian oil to help fuel Bahraini development in May 2008. [10]

In October 2008, Iran and Bahrain held negotiations on the construction of a new natural gas pipeline to transport 1 billion cubic feet of gas from Iran to Bahrain.[11]

In October 2009, Bahraini Oil and Gas Minister Abdul-Hussein Mirza said that Bahrain has resumed negotiations with Tehran concerning Bahraini import of Iranian natural gas.[12]  Bahrain suspended discussions in February 2009 in protest of an Iranian official’s claim that Iran had sovereignty over Bahrain.  Tehran issued an apology and negotiations resumed.  During the October negotiations, Bahrain said it hopes to import 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas from Iran per day for 25 years.[13]

Iran’s nuclear enrichment program has also affected the two countries’ economic relations. Bahrain turned down financial and technical support that Iran offered in October 2007 to help Bahrain establish its own civilian nuclear energy program. [14] In March 2008, Bahrain took steps against a private bank operating in Bahrain that the United States Treasury Department accused of cooperating with sanctioned Iranian banks.[15] According to Stuart Levy, then United States Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, "Bahraini authorities have been closely monitoring Future Bank and took some steps after the Treasury's designations of Banks Melli and Saderat to attempt to prevent abuse by this institution."[16] 

In January 2010, Bahraini deputy prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa met with Iranian ambassador to Bahrain Hossein Amir Abdollahian  in Manama. Sheikh Mohammed stressed the need for the two countries to develop and implement their long-term economic plans.[17]

In early February 2010, a delegation from Bahrain visited the Iranian capital in anticipation of the Iranian annual economic summit with Turkey.[18] The Bahraini delegation also explored terms of gas trade with Iran.[19] Energy talks between Manama and Tehran stalled in early 2009 over the political fallout over Iranian claims that Bahrain was a province of Iran.[20] Relations resumed in November 2009, however, and have focused largely on the import of roughly 1 billion cubic feet per day from South Pars.[21]

In March 2010, senior Iranian energy official Hojatollah Ghanimifard announced his government’s intention to begin exporting natural gas to Bahrain and Oman. Ghanimifard told Iranian Fars News Agency, “considering the results of the meetings and negotiations with Bahraini and Omani officials, I believe that in case the demanding sides announce the final and definite views, Iran will be ready to export gas to the two aforementioned countries.”[22]

Diplomatic/Military Relationship:

As neighbors, Iran and Bahrain have had a long relationship centered largely around bilateral trade, though basic tourism and necessary regional cooperation also play a part. Since the international community and the United States in particular began to condemn Iran for its secretive nuclear enrichment program, however, Bahrain’s relations with the Islamic Republic have become increasingly strained. Bahraini officials have publicly stated that they believe Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program in violation of its Non-Proliferation Agreement obligation; in 2007 Bahrain rejected Iran’s offer of support for Bahrain’s new nuclear energy program. [23] In addition, as an ally of the United States and host to an entire American naval fleet, Bahrain and Iran often disagree politically.[24] 

New political tensions between Bahrain and Iran developed in February 2009 when Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, an advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Iran had sovereignty over Bahrain.[25]  Bahrain halted natural gas negotiations with Iran in protest to the comments and demanded an official apology.  Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki traveled to the Arab country to deliver an apologized and talks resumed.[26]  In June 2009, Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al Khalifa expressed Bahrain’s support of the security and stability in Iran and stressed Bahrain’s interest in promoting cooperation between the two countries.[27]

In January 2010, Bahraini deputy prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa  met with Iranian ambassador to Bahrain Hossein Amir Abdollahian to discuss regional cooperation.[28] Sheikh Mohammad hailed ties between Bahrain and Iran as “friendly” and diplomatically essential to regional stability.[29]

Trilateral negotiations between Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran in January 2010 laid the foundations of an agreement on maritime borders.[30] This agreement followed a December 2009 agreement signed between Iran and Bahrain concerning the demarcation of maritime borders in the Persian Gulf.[31]

[Click here for more information about the Gulf Cooperation Council]