View source for Bahrain-Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Bahrain-Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict 
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| image       = Bahrain Saudi Arabia Locator.svg
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| date        = 2 September 2011 - 10 June 2012
| place       = {{wp|Middle East}}
| coordinates = <!--Use the {{coord}} template -->
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| result      = {{wp|Bahraini}} victory<br/>* Official recognition of the {{wp|Bahraini}} republican government secured<br/>* End of diplomatic and economic boycott against {{wp|Bahrain}} by the {{wp|Gulf Cooperation Council}}
| status      = 
| combatants_header = Belligerents
| combatant1  = {{flag|Bahrain}}<br/>{{flag|Iran}}<br/>{{flag|Libya}}<br/>{{flag|Qatar}}<br/>{{flag|Iraq}}<br/>{{flag|Egypt}}<br/>{{flag|United States}}<br/>{{flag|United Kingdom}}
| combatant2  = {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}<br/>{{flag|Kuwait}}<br/>{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
| combatant3  = 
| commander1  = {{flagicon|Bahrain}} {{wp|Ali Salman}}<br/>{{flagicon|Iran}} {{wp|Ali Khamenei}}<br/>{{flagicon|Libya}} [[Mohammed, King of Libya|Mohammed]]<br/>{{flagicon|United States}} {{wp|Hillary Clinton}}<br/>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} {{wp|David Cameron}}<br/>{{flagicon|Egypt}} {{wp|Muhammad Tantawi}}<br/>{{flagicon|Qatar}} {{wp|Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani}}<br/>{{flagicon|Iraq}} {{wp|Jalal Talabani}}
| commander2  = {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} {{wp|Abdullah of Saudi Arabia}}<br/>{{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} {{wp|Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan}}<br/>{{flagicon|Kuwait}} {{wp|Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah}}
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}}

The '''Bahrain-Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict''', alternatively known as the '''Manama-Riyadh conflict''', was a diplomatic standoff between the countries of {{wp|Bahrain}} and {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}. Sparked by the events of the [[2011 Bahraini Revolution]], the conflict began when {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, along with other members of the {{wp|Gulf Cooperation Council}}, refused to recognise the new republican government of {{wp|Bahrain}} which had overthrew the ruling {{wp|House of Khalifa|Khalifa}} monarchy and declared a republic in its place.

As allies of the deposed {{wp|Bahraini}} monarchy, on whose behalf they had previously intervened militarily, {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, joined by {{wp|Kuwait}} and the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}}, refused to recognise the new republican regime, deeming it to be "illegitimate", and instead continued supporting the imprisoned {{wp|Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa|King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa}}, for whom the {{wp|Saudis}} and its allies demanded a release from imprisonment and reinstatement into power. After their initial demands were strongly rejected by [[President of Bahrain|President]] {{wp|Ali Salman}}, {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} began a months-long diplomatic and economic boycott by closing the {{wp|King Fahd Causeway}}, which physically connects the two countries, while {{wp|Kuwait}} and the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}} both ceased further economic activities with {{wp|Bahrain}}. Moreover, all three countries unanimously recalled their respective ambassadors and also had {{wp|Bahrain}} suspended from the {{wp|Gulf Cooperation Council}} with the sole condition for reinstatement being a return of the {{wp|House of Khalifa|Khalifa}} monarchy. Meanwhile, despite the apparent boycott and isolation by its closest neighbours, {{wp|Bahrain}} did otherwise find support in {{wp|Iran}}, a fellow {{wp|Shia Muslim}} country, as well as other countries including {{wp|Qatar}}, {{wp|Iraq}}, [[Kingdom of Libya|Libya]], {{wp|Egypt}}, and, most crucially, the {{wp|United States}}. Moreover, after much public pressure, the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, which previously supported the monarchy during the revolution, later declared their full support for the new republican government, threatening to seize any assets held in the country by royals of the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}}, a country that otherwise opposed the republic along with {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} and {{wp|Kuwait}}.

Having initially begun in September 2011, around the time of the abolition of the {{wp|Bahraini}} monarchy, the conflict eventually came to an end around June 2012 when the {{wp|United States}}, led by {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Hillary Clinton}}, threatened to withdraw military support for {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} and its allies unless they recognise {{wp|Bahrain}}'s "democratic" and "popular" republican government, marking a rare moment of conflict between the {{wp|Americans}} and their {{wp|Middle Eastern}} allies who previously enjoyed strong military support from the {{wp|United States}}. In addition, a similarly pro-{{wp|Bahrain}} stance adopted by the {{wp|European Union}} soon compelled {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} and its allies to end their diplomatic and economic boycott of {{wp|Bahrain}} and officially recognise the new republican government amidst worries of an economic conflict and diplomatic isolation.

The aftermath of the conflict, which saw {{wp|Bahrain}}'s republican government gain official recognition from its neighbours, was seen domestically as a major diplomatic victory for [[President of Bahrain|President]] {{wp|Ali Salman}}, who later went on to win the country's first presidential election by a near-landslide victory. Meanwhile, internationally, the resolution of the conflict was seen not just as a major success of the {{wp|Arab Spring}} but also as an apparent decline in the influence of the traditional regional powerhouses {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, who were notably compelled by {{wp|Western}} pressure to recognise the new form of government in {{wp|Bahrain}} despite previous stern opposition against it. In addition, the outcome was also seen by some as a victory for {{wp|Iran}} in its longstanding proxy war with {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, given that the {{wp|Sunni Muslim}} monarchy in {{wp|Bahrain}} was overthrown in favour of a republican government led by the country's {{wp|Shia Muslim}} majority. In the midst of this, {{wp|Iran}}'s theocratic regime was overthrown in the {{wp|2009 Iranian presidential election protests|Green Revolution}} which saw the restoration of the {{wp|Pahlavi dynasty|Pahlavi}} monarchy and the formation of a more liberal, democratic government. However, despite being comparatively less warlike and more friendly towards {{wp|Western}} countries and its immediate neighbours, the new {{wp|Iranian}} government is deemed to be still at odds with the {{wp|Saudi}} government anyway given their repression of {{wp|Shia Islam|Shia Muslims}} in the country and the deeply contrasting ideologies advocated by both nations respectively with {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} being an {{wp|Islamic}} absolute monarchy while {{wp|Iran}} is a democratic, secular constitutional monarchy.