In a remarkable move, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has urged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to mediate between the Gulf Arab state and Iran. The request was put forward during a May 23 visit to Moscow. "We are thinking about good neighbourliness with our neighbours...Your Excellency’s support for this matter is welcomed by the people of Bahrain in general and by me personally," the Arab monarch said. "Regarding resolving the problems between Iran and Bahrain, knowing that in reality they are not considered problems, there is no reason for postponement." A senior Iranian official on June 7 confirmed that Russian mediation has been requested, alongside ongoing direct engagement with Manama.

This comes against the backdrop of the Iranian-Saudi normalization accord in Mar. 2023, which was brokered by China. Given Bahrain and...