Bahrain says won't participate in Hormuz meeting with Iran

Bahrain said on Saturday it would not take part in a proposed meeting in Oman between Iran and Gulf states to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has blockaded throughout the Middle East war, AFP reported.

Pointing to attacks on infrastructure across the Gulf, the ministry said that security and stability in the region "cannot be preserved through a policy of appeasement" and called for Hormuz to be open without "discrimination, fees or permits".

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced Friday that Arab foreign ministers would meet in Muscat, Oman, to discuss regional security and a joint shipping arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz. Following the outbreak of the Middle East war in February 2026, Iran blockaded the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil passes, requiring permits and fees while targeting non-compliant vessels.