Bahrain declines to participate in ministerial meeting on Strait of Hormuz

Bahrain will not participate in the proposed ministerial meeting on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, according to Report.

The ministry stressed that Bahrain will not participate in collective meetings with Iran until diplomatic relations between the two countries are restored. Oman was officially notified of Manama's position earlier.

Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said the kingdom had been subjected to attacks on infrastructure and civilian facilities, including an ammonia storage tank, damage to which could have led to a large-scale disaster. The ministry also pointed to an attack on the East-West oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, saying the threat to civilian and economic infrastructure remains.

Bahrain believes that the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz should be based on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and decisions of the International Maritime Organization. The kingdom's authorities advocate ensuring the right of transit passage for all vessels without discrimination, fees or special permits, as well as the participation of all Gulf Cooperation Council countries in ensuring the security of the strait. At the same time, Manama stressed that it is ready to support an agreement based on international law and backed by consensus.

Earlier, it was reported that Tehran and Muscat had reached an agreement on managing the Strait of Hormuz after its reopening. The agreement is expected to be officially announced at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Persian Gulf countries.