Bahrain says it will not participate in Iran’s proposed Hormuz meeting

Bahrain has rejected an invitation to a meeting in Muscat that Iran says will address safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf kingdom made the decision public on Saturday, saying it would not be a party to any collective meeting involving Iran until diplomatic ties between the two states are restored. Tehran has framed the Muscat gathering as a demonstration of goodwill. Iran's foreign ministry announced consultations for Monday, and spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Al Jazeera the session showed Tehran's willingness to engage with neighbours and that delegations would be briefed on results of talks between Iran and Oman. Manama's statement pointed to recent attacks on regional infrastructure and argued that security and stability cannot be achieved by appeasement. It also reiterated Bahrain's demand that the strait remain open to all vessels without discrimination, fees or permits — a direct rebuke to Iranian proposals to formalise control of the waterway and potentially impose charges for passage. Independent news agencies reported that the Muscat meeting is expected to be consultative rather than a venue for a formal agreement. Reuters quoted an unnamed senior Iranian official saying the talks would allow discussion of issues but were not likely to produce a signed accord, and Iran's Tasnim news agency said any Iran-Oman understanding would set out conditions for a reopening rather than immediately reopen the strait. Background reporting from the same source says Iran has effectively blockaded the channel during the war, halting Gulf oil and gas exports worldwide. Oman’s territorial waters cover parts of the strait, and Tehran has been negotiating with Muscat as it seeks a framework for the waterway’s future control and use.