A member of the Bahrain parliament’s finance and economic committee, Jasim Ali, said this week the government was putting pressure on Ahli United to freeze the Iranian operations of its Future Bank affiliate.
Ahli United established Future Bank in 2004 as a joint venture with Bank Saderat Iran and Bank Melli Iran.
Two sources with familiar with Ahli United’s policy said banking activity with Iran had been "frozen".
The United States, which counts Bahrain as an ally and has a naval base on the island, is putting pressure on Gulf governments to isolate Iran, which it says is trying to make nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge.