Bahrain issued a statement [press release] Saturday declaring that the country has a right to reclaim lands that the nation believes were wrongfully taken by Qatar.

The lands in dispute were settled by a International Court of Justice decision [materials] in 2001. The court split the territory, including settling maritime lines. This decision has never been accepted by the Bahraini government.

The government of Bahrain stated, “The Kingdom of Bahrain has every right to claim what was cut off forcibly from its land and to dispute the legitimacy of the Qatari rule on the northern territory.” Bahrain said that it did not pursue the land dispute in recent years for the stability of the region. However, the nation now sees the region boycotting Qatar, citing ties to terrorism, as a justifiable reason to pursue the territory.

It is yet to be seen what measures the country would be willing to take over the disputed territory. The boycott placed on Qatar seems to be supported in the region. In July foreign ministers from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates stated [JURIST report] that the four nations were open to dialogue with Qatar regarding the 13 demands imposed against the Gulf state.