The United States does not need Bahrain's oil, and the limited trade relationship between the two countries cannot be relied upon to put pressure on domestic political reform. What Washington has is more than oil or trade; it has the Fifth Fleet which is of strategic importance in the region.

Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim issued a statement in which he sent a message to the people of Bahrain and greeted Sayed Abdullah Al-Ghuraifi.