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Several Gulf countries strongly condemned Iran’s drone attack on the island nation of Bahrain on Saturday, while vowing to unite against any future violence from Tehran.
The escalation poses the biggest threat to date to the memorandum of understanding signed last week by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
After Iran rammed a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, the US launched overnight airstrikes against Iran’s missile, drone and radar facilities. Iran responded on Saturday with drone strikes in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
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Smoke billows after a reported Iranian missile attack, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026. (Reuters)
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, has called Iran’s attack on Bahrain “a hoax,” adding that it will undermine ongoing peace efforts in the Middle East.
The GCC represents the interests of Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, several of which have issued statements condemning Iran.
Bahrain itself issued a response, confirming that Iran had flown dozens of drones over its territory and calling the strikes a “serious threat” to the country’s security. It is not clear exactly which areas Iran is targeting.
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President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking at the Faith & Freedom Coalition policy conference Friday, June 26, 2026. Iran’s latest strike is the latest threat to the MOU he signed that mandated a ceasefire. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
“Although the Ministry has condemned this terrible violence, it confirms that the continuation of the attacks of the Iranian regime, at a time when regional and international efforts are coming to a halt, puts the responsibility on Tehran only to undermine peace efforts, and presents a path based on the destruction of security, the deployment of chaos, and undermining the stability of the region,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain on Saturday.
Officials from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also issued statements on Saturday criticizing Iran.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Iranian strikes represent “a dangerous reduction of efforts for peace and stability, and a threat to the security and stability of the region.”
Kuwait and the UAE say they remain committed to supporting Bahrain’s security and stability.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, attends a meeting with foreign ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council member states in Manama, Bahrain, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (Eric Lee/Pool Photo via AP)
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Also joining Iran’s public condemnation were Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both of which said the recent strikes violated Bahrain’s sovereignty and international law.
It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman has not commented on this attack. Oman has remained neutral throughout the war and has often acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.
Oman and Iran are also in the midst of negotiating a joint framework for future management of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
A container ship, right, and a cargo ship are seen in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard took responsibility for the strikes in Bahrain, saying on state television that it targeted several “US terrorist forces in the region” without specifying which locations were hit, according to the Associated Press.
So far, no injuries or major damage have been reported from the drone attack, which occurred days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Gulf allies in Bahrain.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
