Bahrain, the United States, and the United Kingdom held emergency consultations under Article Two of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) to review the region’s current security situation, with a focus on Iranian actions aimed at destabilizing regional security and stability.
According to a statement from Bahrain’s National Communication Center, Manama activated Article Two of the agreement, triggering exceptional consultations on Thursday within the framework of the pact’s Defense Working Group.
The move came in response to Iranian missile and drone attacks that Bahraini authorities said deliberately targeted civilian and residential areas in the kingdom.
The Bahrain News Agency reported late Friday that Lt. Gen. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s national security adviser and secretary-general of the Supreme Defense Council, held the consultations with US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander, Admiral Brad Cooper and the United Kingdom’s Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, chief of the defense staff.
Participants discussed the urgent need for a coordinated allied response to what they described as a direct threat to Bahrain’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They emphasized the strength of the partnership among the member states and reaffirmed their commitment to collectively addressing threats to regional security and stability.
The meeting also underscored the strategic partnership established under the agreement, which includes commitments to strengthen security cooperation and collective deterrence against external threats. Officials reaffirmed their determination to work jointly to counter any external aggression targeting the sovereignty or territorial integrity of member states.
Separately, Cooper condemned the Iranian attacks in a post on the official CENTCOM account on the social media platform X, describing them as unacceptable.
He added that the United States would continue working with regional partners to counter threats endangering civilians in the region.
In a phone call Thursday with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom would deploy four additional Typhoon fighter jets to the region, to be stationed in Qatar, to provide defensive air cover for Bahrain and help strengthen the protection of its airspace.
Bahrain reiterated its commitment to regional stability, the protection of its citizens, and the defense of its sovereignty. It also urged the international community to recognize the seriousness of what it described as Iran’s deliberate targeting of civilian areas and the importance of a unified allied response, which it said reflects the strength of its security partnerships.
