Iran tells Al Jazeera that Monday’s meeting is a sign of ‘good intentions’ towards neighbouring countries.
Published On 12 Sep 2026
Bahrain has declined to attend a proposed meeting in Oman between Iran and other regional nations concerning maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has effectively blocked the shipping channel throughout the conflict, halting Gulf oil and gas exports globally, though Iran’s foreign ministry announced that consultations on the strait’s future are scheduled for Monday in Muscat.
“In light of what has been circulated … the Kingdom of Bahrain will not participate in it,” Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry stated on Saturday.
Bahrain pointed to attacks on Gulf infrastructure, asserting that regional security and stability “cannot be preserved through a policy of appeasement,” and called for Hormuz to remain open without “discrimination, fees or permits”.
Tehran has sought to formalize its authority over the waterway, including possible transit fees, and has been negotiating with Muscat, given that Oman’s territorial waters extend into Hormuz.
The strait was freely accessible to all nations before the US and Israel struck Iran in late February, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its commitment to dialogue but stated it “will not be a party to any collective meeting that includes Iran before the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries”.
Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 alongside Saudi Arabia during a prior regional crisis. While Riyadh restored relations in 2023, Manama has yet to follow suit.
‘We will talk to our neighbours’
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the meeting demonstrates “Iran’s good intention because we have said all along that the security of the region must be guaranteed by the countries of the region, without intervention by the foreigners, without intervention by the outside powers”.
“This is a sign we will talk to our neighbours, despite the fact that their territories, their military bases or the military bases of the United States, were used to attack Iran,” he said.
Baghaei added that Tehran would “brief the delegations about the results of the Iran and Oman consultations regarding the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz”.
Reuters quoted an unnamed senior Iranian official saying the Oman meeting will be an opportunity to discuss issues, though it is not expected to produce a formal agreement on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that an understanding between Iran and Oman would not provide for the immediate reopening of the strait but only establish the basis on which it could reopen.
