Iran Press/ Middle East: Qatar and Bahrain announced late Wednesday that they had agreed to end a long-running diplomatic feud and re-establish relations.
Bahrain in 2017 joined Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt in imposing a diplomatic blockade on Qatar. The countries' rivalry goes back even further, however, and Bahrain is the last to renew ties.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt imposed a blockade in 2017, accusing Qatar of supporting extremist organizations in the region and becoming too close to Iran.
The four countries banned Qatari planes and ships from using their airspace and territorial waters.
A reconciliation accord was sealed in January 2021. The three other states have already renewed relations, though the UAE and Qatar have yet to reopen their embassies.
UAE and Qatari officials held their latest reconciliation meeting last week, with a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson describing a "positive atmosphere".
Relations between Qatar and Bahrain have been more difficult to restore because of thorny issues including their maritime border. The two sides regularly accuse each other of illegally detaining fishermen from the other country.
The Qatar-Bahrain reconciliation comes amid a flurry of regional efforts to resolve disputes. Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed last month to resume relations seven years after formally breaking off ties.
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