Iran Claims Bahrain: Disruption in West Asia

• British-ruled Bahrain was claimed by Iran for the first time in 1957, when it was under the Shah’s reign and still a British protectorate.
• In 1970, the UN held a referendum asking the people of Bahrain whether they preferred an independent state for themselves or joining Iran. The populace overwhelmingly supported freedom and sovereignty.
• Israel is also one of the reasons behind the tense relations between Iran and Bahrain.
• Reviving the false territorial claims on Bahrain, Iran could potentially target its global and regional adversary’s interests.

Iran is the latest viral trend in the international arena. In the past few weeks, if any nation has succeeded in grabbing the media’s time and attention after the Russia-Ukraine war, it has been Iran. Whether Iran decides to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) or their women’s question of choice regarding the Hijab Controversy; whether it is the perpetual Nuclear Talks with the US or air strikes by the US on “Iran-backed” fighters in Syria; Iran has not failed to be in the limelight. This time it is the issue of territorial claims over Bahrain. Iran is well versed in the fact that the island nation of Bahrain is a crucial US ally; still, Iranian media has relentlessly claimed Bahrain as the “14th province” of Iran, known as Mishmahig.

The Claim and the Controversy

The most crucial question here is- is this claim valid? The answer is an assertive NO. Bahrain is an independent and sovereign country in West Asia. It has cordial relations with many nations in West Asia and outside. Bahrain is also a member of many international organizations, including the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organisation, and several regional organisations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council, the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Conference, and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. These affiliations and memberships further confirm the sovereign status of the state of Bahrain. Yet, with all these confirmations, why is Iran still escalating fresh tension in West Asia by reviving an old territorial claim on the sovereign state of Bahrain? An answer to this question perhaps lies in the history of these two nations.

Historical Background 

Bahrain was a part of the Persian Empire from the 6th to the 3rd century BC, ruled by the Achaemenian dynasty. From 3 BC to 7 AD, the Parthians and the Sassanids, two ancient dynasties, ruled Bahrain before the advent of Islam in the region. In 899 AD, Bahrain was invaded and ruled by the Qarmatians, a millenarian Ismaili Muslim group. The Arab Uyunid dynasty of al-Hasa overthrew the Abbasids, who defeated the Qarmatians and conquered Bahrain in 976 AD. The Arab dynasty controlled the whole of Bahrain from 1076 until 1235.

In 1521, the Portuguese joined forces with Hormuz to seize Bahrain from Migrin ibn Zamil, the Jabril ruler, assassinated during the takeover. The Portuguese ruled for about 80 years and relied heavily on Sunni Persian rulers. In 1602, Abbas I of Persia’s Safavid dynasty expelled the Portuguese from the islands, giving Shia Islam a boost. Nash Al-Madhkur, a Sunni Arab leader of the Huwala tribe, marched into Bahrain and reinstated Persian rule in 1753. After being defeated by the Bani Utbah tribe and Ahmed bin Muhammad Al Khalifa at the Battle of Zubarah in 1782, Nasr Al-Madhkur lost control of the Bahrain islands in 1783, ending the Persian rule in Bahrain once again. 

In 1820, Great Britain acknowledged the rule of Al Khalifa in Bahrain after the Treaty of Leadership. Addressing letters to the Ottomans and the Persians, Al Khalifas placed Bahrain under Ottoman protection in the 1860s because they had provided Bahrain with better political conditions. Subsequently, Bahrain was brought under the control of the British Indian administration when the Persians declined to protect it. Therefore, the Al Khalifas and Colonel Pelly signed a new contract placing Bahrain under British protection and administration. In 1880 and 1892, other agreements were signed and ratified, securing Bahrain’s legal status as a British protectorate. 

The Precedent of Bogus Claims

British-ruled Bahrain was claimed by Iran for the first time in 1957, when it was under the Shah’s reign and still a British protectorate. In the same year, the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) passed legislation claiming Bahrain as Iran’s 14^th province. Consequently, Bahrain was allotted two seats in the Majlis, but they were never filled. Bahrain became independent from British supremacy in 1971; however, a year before that, in 1970, the UN held a referendum asking the people of Bahrain whether they preferred an independent state for themselves or joining Iran. The populace overwhelmingly supported freedom and sovereignty. Following the referendum, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Security Council Resolution 278, titled “The subject of Bahrain”. The UNSC, welcoming the conclusion and findings of the referendum, hailed “the overwhelming majority of the people of Bahrain wish to gain recognition of their identity in a fully independent and sovereign state free to decide for itself its relation with other states”, declaring Bahrain as a newly independent sovereign state in West Asia. Iran had to accept the referendum and the subsequent UNSC Resolution 278. Moreover, Iran recognised Bahrain as a sovereign state in 1971 and abandoned its historical claims over it due to a secret Anglo-Iranian negotiation.

In 2018, however, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s representative, Hossein Shariatmadari, from Daily Kayhan Newspaper, reiterated the contentious assertions and claims over the island nation of Bahrain. He persistently argued and showcased that Bahrainis feel cut off and separated from their motherland, i.e., mainland Iran. Following such remarks, a protest broke out in Bahrain demanding an immediate apology from the Iranian government. In the following years, verbal attacks on Bahrain have become more frequent. One such instance happened in August 2022 on Bahrain’s Independence Day; the Iranian press ran several articles casting doubts on Bahrain’s independence. The Iranian media wrote, “Today, the primary demand of the people of Bahrain is to return this province, which was severed from Iran, back to its original and maternal land, meaning Islamic Iran.”

Iran recognised Bahrain as a sovereign state in 1971 and abandoned its historical claims over it due to a secret Anglo-Iranian negotiation.

Iran’s claim on Bahrain is based on three principles. First, the Shia principle, Tehran asserts religious and political control over the Shia community of Bahrain. Bahrain is a predominantly Shia-dominated nation under the supervision of the Sunni royal dynasty of Al Khalifas, which irritates Iran. Hence, Iran intends to overthrow the government by appealing to the Shia Community. Second, according to the regional hegemonic principle, the Iranian claim over Bahrain is based on its historical understanding of how the Persian Dynasty dominated the region. Iran constructed a security identity based on its self-declared cultural and political supremacy over Bahrain. Finally, the power politics principle, Iranian interests in Bahrain are based on power projections against its regional (Saudi Arabia & Israel) and global (the US) rivals.

The Triad of the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia

Iran and Saudi Arabia are arch rivals and fiercely struggle for regional dominance in West Asia. Religious and ideological (Shia-Sunni) differences have exacerbated their decades-long animosity. Shia and Sunni’s rivalry gets escalated because Iran (and Russia) supports Bashar al-Assad, the Shia regime in Sunni-dominated Syria. Whereas Saudi Arabia and Israel desperately want to contain the rising Iranian influence in Syria. Similarly, Saudi Arabia, encouraged by the US, is backing the government of Yemen against the Houthi rebels supported by Iran. Israel, which witnesses Iran as a mortal threat due to its strong support for Palestine, is “backing” Riyadh’s efforts to contain Tehran. Territorial claims on Bahrain are a part of the proxy game and ideological battle between the two regional rivals (Saudi Arabia and Iran) of West Asia.

Israel is also one of the reasons behind the tense relations between Iran and Bahrain. Israel and Iran were allies in the 1950s during the Shah’s regime, but after the Iranian revolution, relations between them ended abruptly. The new Islamic state of Iran, under the Supreme Leader- Ayatollah Khomeini, adopted a strong anti-Jews sentiment, denounced Israel’s Jewish state as an imperialist power in West Asia and ceased recognizing Israel as an independent state. Having Tehran’s support, the Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Palestinian radical group Hamas in West Bank regularly fight with Israel. In 2020, normalizing relations with Israel, Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords with the support of the US, proving the old saying of International Relations- ‘An enemy’s enemy is a friend.’ Deepening ties between Bahrain and Israel through security corporations on intelligence and negotiations on FTA put both countries on the table against a common adversary Iran. Such developments between non-Arab states and Arab states have shifted the “balance of power” in favour of Israel in West Asia, which irritates Iran.

Iran's territorial claim over Bahrain indirectly attacks US hegemony in West Asia.

Manama is critical to Washington’s interests in West Asia. In addition to hosting the Fifth Fleet of the US Navy, Bahrain and the US also have a Defence Cooperation Agreement that permits US soldiers to use Bahrain’s facilities. Bahrain hosts some operations for the US Central Command- CENTCOM, a US military cooperation umbrella organization. In 2001, the US recognized Bahrain as a significant non-NATO ally. Till now, only twenty countries could effectively sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US. In 2006, Bahrain became the third Arab country and the first GCC country to sign an FTA with the US. After the Iranian revolution, the US-backed Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, was overthrown, followed by the Iran hostage crisis worsening relations between Iran and the US. Advancement in the Nuclear programs and proxy wars by Iran in the region further escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran. Thus, Iran’s territorial claim over Bahrain indirectly attacks US hegemony in West Asia.

Conclusion

The US, Israel and Saudi Arabia are strong regional and global rivals of Iran in West Asia. Bahrain is a pivotal ally to these countries in the region. Iran’s claim over the sovereignty of Bahrain is a direct sign of countering the US-Saudi-Israel’s supremacy in West Asia. Reviving these false territorial claims on Bahrain, Iran could potentially target its global and regional adversary’s interests. Rather than focusing on its domestic, social and economic issues, Iran, by making such claims, is escalating further tensions in the already volatile region, which is dangerous for the international world order.

_{(About the authors: Anmol Kumar is a student of Pondicherry University, pursuing his Master’s in Politics and International Relations. His area of interest is Iran and West Asia. Rahul Ajnoti is a student of Pondicherry University, pursuing his Master’s in Politics and International Relations. His area of interest is India’s Foreign Policy, European Studies and South East Asia.)}

Anmol Kumar & Rahul Ajnoti