Downing Street said Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on 21 March 2026 with His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al‑Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain. The official readout notes UK counter‑drone support to Bahrain, joint condemnation of Iran’s attacks on critical infrastructure and the Strait of Hormuz, an update on US use of UK bases in regional collective self‑defence to degrade missile sites used to attack shipping, and recognition of Bahrain’s UN role. The leaders agreed to remain in contact. (gov.uk)
On assistance, the UK will deploy a team of experts to help Bahrain counter drone attacks. Capability details were not disclosed in the readout. Ministers have previously told Parliament that the UK pre‑positioned counter‑drone teams, radars and air‑defence assets across the region in early March to reinforce partners as strikes intensified. (gov.uk)
Downing Street’s reference to US use of UK bases is framed by the government’s published legal position: the UK may use or support force in the collective self‑defence of regional allies facing an ongoing armed attack, where such action is the only feasible means and is necessary and proportionate under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The Prime Minister told MPs on 2 March that any measures taken in self‑defence would be notified to the Security Council. (gov.uk)
Maritime security was a core concern in the call. The UK readout links allied activity to degrading capabilities used to attack shipping through and around the Strait of Hormuz. The UN Security Council has condemned attacks and threats on merchant vessels and underlined navigational rights under international law. (gov.uk)
As a non‑permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2026–27, Bahrain has taken a prominent diplomatic role. On 11 March, the Council adopted Resolution 2817, presented with GCC backing, condemning Iran’s missile and drone attacks on Gulf states and Jordan, demanding an immediate halt, and affirming navigational rights and the right of collective self‑defence. (bahrain.un.org)
The readout records that Bahrain has joined a UK‑led joint statement condemning Iran’s attacks and urging de‑escalation. This aligns with wider diplomatic coordination, including the extraordinary EU–GCC ministerial joint statement on 5 March and the E3 leaders’ message on 1 March, both calling for Iran to cease strikes and for renewed diplomacy. (gov.uk)
For UK policy teams, the call underlines two operational choices signalled this month: prioritising counter‑drone and air‑defence support to partners, and enabling allied operations from UK bases only on a collective self‑defence footing assessed against necessity and proportionality, with accountability through parliamentary statements and UN notification. (gov.uk)
Resolution 2817’s language on shipping is explicit, condemning attempts to impede lawful transit and affirming states’ rights to defend merchant vessels consistent with international law. Monitoring will focus on whether the capabilities referenced in the UK readout are degraded in practice in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al‑Mandab. (documents.un.org)