Watan-Newly declassified British documents from 1869, released by the Qatar Digital Library in cooperation with the UK National Archives, reveal a remarkable and little-known historical attempt by Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the sixth ruler of Bahrain, to annex the country to the Persian state (Iran).
According to an official letter signed by Charles John, Secretary of the British Government in Bombay, Mohammed bin Khalifa formally declared that “Bahrain is part of Persian territory” and requested that the Persian flag be raised over his seat of power. He also renounced any political allegiance to Imam Faisal bin Turki Al Saud and contacted Tehran authorities to arrange for annual taxation and manage pilgrimage affairs under Persian supervision.
وثائق بريطانية سرية مصدرها مكتبة قطر الرقمية – الأرشيف البريطاني (Confidential letter No. 1399, 8 يوليو 1869): آل خليفة حاولوا جعل #البحرين تابعة لـ #إيران..
محمد بن خليفة آل خليفة، الحاكم وقتها، أرسل خطابًا رسميًا للسلطات الفارسية أعلن فيه أن “البحرين جزء من الأراضي الفارسية… pic.twitter.com/mzFPPPkATo— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) July 7, 2025
The letter, numbered 1399 and dated July 8, 1869, triggered serious concern in Britain. Officials considered this move a direct threat to their influence and strategic interests in the Gulf. British representative Grant Duff warned that “replacing independent rule with that of Persia poses a danger to maritime peace in the Gulf.”
This revelation sheds light on a striking historical irony: While modern Bahraini authorities frequently accuse Shiite opposition groups of Iranian allegiance, the first recorded attempt to submit Bahrain to Iranian authority was made by a member of the ruling Al Khalifa family itself.
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