What Actually Happened

Despite continuing tension between government forces and the opposition, the UN Security Council ultimately did not consider taking action to address the unrest in Bahrain. Several countries have continued to fortify their commercial and military relationships with Bahrain despite its human rights record. The United States has prioritized efforts to combat terrorism and curtail Iranian influence in the region over the promotion of reforms in the country. As part of this relationship, the United States has sold military equipment to Bahrain’s security services. The United Kingdom also has a notable military relationship with Bahrain that includes a bilateral defense agreement and arms sales. In recent years, the United Kingdom has fortified its military ties to Bahrain, opening a naval base in the country in 2018. 

Escalating tensions in the Middle East among the United States, Iran, and several other Persian Gulf countries have led to increased international cooperation with Bahrain. These countries aim to protect international oil shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. In April 2019, Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial chokepoint separating the Persian Gulf from the Indian Ocean. That summer, Iranian forces and proxies conducted a series of attacks on commercial tankers and oil facilities in the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia. In response, several countries joined the United States, Bahrain, and the United Kingdom to form a joint maritime security initiative. This force was headquartered in Manama, to protect shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. Common opposition to Iran has also driven Israel to build closer ties with Bahrain. Once long-standing rivals of Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed on to the Abraham Accords in September 2020. This normalized their diplomatic relations with the country. 

Meanwhile, ongoing tension between the government and opposition continued. Repression and violence in Bahrain have intensified. The government has engaged in the arrest and jailing of activists, extrajudicial killings, and revocations of citizenship. The United Nations has heavily criticized the country’s practices and called for Bahrain to observe international human rights laws. So far international pressure on Bahrain to improve its treatment of citizens has remained limited. The country has faced few consequences for its continued violation of human rights. 

Bahrain will likely remain an international diplomatic challenge for years to come. Impediments to a forceful international response will likely remain. This is especially likely as the United States and United Kingdom deepen their relationship with Bahrain. Still, the UN Security Council could prove instrumental in leading an international response to renewed unrest in Bahrain.