Iran Rejects Bahrain’s Claims, Calls for Collective Regional Security

Iranian diplomat Ali Karimi-Magham has rejected accusations from Bahrain, arguing that security in West Asia must be pursued collectively and warning that continued reliance on foreign military infrastructure could expose countries across the region to further insecurity. Speaking before the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, Karimi-Magham accused Bahrain of making its territory, military bases and airspace available to the United States during the conflict with Iran.

Karimi-Magham said Bahrain could not present itself solely as a victim of the conflict while, in Iran’s account, allowing its territory and military facilities to support US operations against Iran. He maintained that Iran had not initiated the conflict but had come under attack, describing Tehran’s subsequent military response as an exercise of what Iran considers its inherent right of self-defence. These assertions represent Iran’s position; Bahrain and the United States have presented their own accounts of the conflict and regional security situation.

The Iranian diplomat warned that Tehran would respond if the territory or airspace of regional states were again used to launch attacks against Iran. He framed the regional security dilemma as a choice between building security collectively or facing insecurity collectively, underscoring Tehran’s broader argument that Gulf and West Asian states should develop regional security arrangements rather than allowing their territories to become platforms for confrontation between Iran and external powers.