Iran has issued a stern warning to Bahrain, saying it would respond with intensified military force if the kingdom “provoked” Tehran amid rising tensions in the Gulf.
Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, warned Bahrain against “playing such games” with its fate. “A serious warning is being given to the Bahrainis to know their limits and not force Iran to adopt harsh decisions,” he was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The warning came after Iran targeted a US Navy base in Bahrain over Friday and Saturday, claiming that Washington was using military facilities in the region to launch attacks on Iranian territory. Gulf nations have denied the allegation, while Bahrain condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and said they undermined efforts towards de-escalation and regional stability.
The escalation comes despite a fresh diplomatic push by the United States and Iran to halt reciprocal military strikes and resume negotiations. According to Axios, the two sides have agreed to suspend kinetic activity and continue technical talks in Doha on Tuesday, with discussions focused on the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior US official told Axios that both sides had decided to stop active military engagements, while another said vessels could move freely “for now” as talks continued.
The latest crisis stems from disagreements over a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this month to freeze hostilities. The dispute centres on provisions governing transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Under the agreement, Iran was expected to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels, while the US was to lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
During talks in Switzerland last week, a US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance also agreed to set up a direct hotline between the US military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to coordinate shipping traffic. US officials, however, said the line had not become operational because of Tehran’s renewed demand that global shipping coordinate passage directly with Iranian forces.
The technical talks were originally scheduled to be held in Switzerland and were expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the escalation in the Gulf forced officials to shift the venue to Doha and prioritise the immediate crisis over the strategic waterway.
Iran had earlier cancelled Sunday’s technical session, citing recent US military strikes and accusing Washington of failing to honour key provisions of the memorandum.
Mehdi Fazaeili, a member of the office linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader, told Iranian state television that the suspension of dialogue was also tied to whether Tehran had access to unfrozen financial assets. “One of the reasons is checking if we have access to the unfrozen funds. If there is no access, then this condition has not been fulfilled,” he said.