29 June,2026 11:17 AM IST | Tehran | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/AFP
An adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a strong warning to Bahrain, stating that Tehran could respond with greater military force if it believes the Gulf nation is acting against its interests.
Ali Akbar Velayati stated, "A serious warning is being given to the Bahrainis to know their limits and not play such games with their own fate, and not force Iran to adopt harsh decisions," according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The warning comes after Iran claimed responsibility for targeting a US Navy base in Bahrain during attacks carried out on Friday and Saturday. Tehran alleged that the United States has been using military bases in the region to launch attacks on Iranian territory.
Bahrain has rejected the allegation, while Gulf nations have denied that their territories were used for such operations. Manama condemned the attacks, saying they violated the country's sovereignty and undermined "opportunities for de-escalation and stability in the region."
The latest developments come as the United States and Iran have agreed to halt reciprocal military strikes and resume diplomatic negotiations on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, aimed at addressing the ongoing dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Axios, both countries have agreed to suspend military operations while continuing technical discussions.
A senior US official told Axios, "We decided to stop all the kinetic activity," referring to the suspension of active military operations.
A second US official said both sides would stand down "for now" and that "vessels can move freely" while technical negotiations continue.
The latest escalation followed disagreements over the interpretation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier this month to halt hostilities. The dispute reportedly centres on Article 5, which governs commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the agreement, Iran committed to making its best efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strategic waterway, while the United States agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
During high-level discussions held in Switzerland last week, the US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, agreed to establish a direct hotline between the US military and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to coordinate shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, US officials said the communication channel has not yet become operational because Iran has sought formal coordination of international shipping with its forces before vessels transit the waterway.
The technical discussions were originally scheduled to continue in Switzerland with a focus on Iran's nuclear programme. However, the recent escalation shifted both the venue and agenda to Doha, with priority given to resolving the immediate maritime dispute.
Iran later confirmed that it had cancelled Sunday's scheduled technical meetings, citing recent US military strikes and alleging that Washington had failed to meet the core commitments outlined in the memorandum.
Speaking to Iranian state television, Mehdi Fazaeili, a member of the Office of Preservation and Publication of the Works of Iran's Supreme Leader, stated that the suspension of the talks was partly linked to access to Iranian financial assets.
Fazaeili said, "For example, 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."
(With inputs from ANI)
