This failed to come about and, following more negotiations with the British, Isa bin Tarif settled on the Persian island of Qais in 1840 where he was considered to be no threat to the stability of the region.
In 1847, Isa became convinced that Mohammed wanted to bring the nearby town of Zubarah under his control to prevent future attacks on Bahrain from being launched from the coast of Qatar.
In November Mohammed bin Khalifa wrote a letter to Captain William Lowe of the East India Company's naval squadron.
Lowe responded to the letter by requesting Mohammed to refrain from hostilities at sea, and warned that any vessels found being used for war would be seized.
On 7 November 1847, Isa and his deputy jointly wrote to Samuel Hennell describing their suspicions of Mohammed's plan to invade the north-east coast of Qatar.
[9] Intent on defending the coast from Bahraini intervention, Isa and Mubarak bin Ahmed arrived in Fuwayrit with 400 troops in the first week of November.
As the tensions worsened, the British dispatched several naval ships to blockade Al-Bida and wrote warning letters to Isa, Abdullah and Mohammed.