The map is going to change. The rulers of the Gulf states will run of to London in due course.
Yes, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, did claim Bahrain as Iranian territory. He cited historical precedents from periods of Persian control and a 19th-century British agreement. [reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/c0scjc/in_the_late_1960s_the_shah_of_iran_laid_claim_to/)
Historical Basis
Iran's claims traced back to ancient Persian rule and intermittent control under the Safavids, though actual authority over Bahrain was often loose or interrupted by other powers like Oman. A key modern justification was a 1822 agreement by a British agent recognizing Persian rights, later voided by Britain but used by Iran in League of Nations disputes in the 1920s and revived in the 1950s–1960s. [academia](https://www.academia.edu/1946455/Muhammad_Reza_Pahlavi_and_the_Bahrain_Question_1968_1970)
Key Events
In 1957, Iran's parliament declared Bahrain its 14th province amid tensions with Britain. The Shah publicly asserted the claim during a 1969 India trip, offering to drop it if Bahrainis rejected unification via referendum. [iranintl](https://www.iranintl.com/en/202308154727)
Resolution
Facing British withdrawal from the Gulf, U.S. pressure, and Arab opposition, the Shah agreed to a UN-supervised plebiscite in 1970. Bahrainis voted for independence, formalized in 1971, ending Iran's claim despite domestic backlash. [tehrantimes](https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/487877/Bahrain-was-lost-due-to-Shah-incompetence-and-British-conspiracy)
