Bahrain - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Bahrain

City Name

Manama

Bahrain

September 17, 2025

Manama 5:22 am

32°C

MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images

Bahraini protesters clash with police over new Israeli ambassador: What to know

Bahrain normalized ties with Israel in 2020 and has sought to balance friendly relations and maintaining calm among its pro-Palestinian population amid the Gaza war.

An aerial view of the solar mirrors at the Noor 1 Concentrated Solar Power plant some 12.5 miles outside the central Moroccan town of Ouarzazate, on Feb. 4, 2016.

Egypt secures $220M from domestic, Gulf, Chinese investors for solar project

Foreign investment from three countries comes at a pivotal time in Egypt’s recovery from its worst financial crisis in over six decades.

Test firing of a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at the Jiupeng base, Pingtung, Taiwan, May 12, 2025.

US to sell $500 million HIMARS rocket system to Bahrain

The short-range artillery system will not alter the basic balance of power in the Gulf region, Pentagon says.

A view of the UN Security Council during a meeting to discuss the situation in Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York City, on April 29, 2025.

What Bahrain’s election to UN Security Council means for Mideast diplomacy

The election of new members to the UN Security Council comes ahead of a vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Latest News

Bahrain to bid for UN Security Council seat: What to know

UNSC

Analysis

Wary of Houthis, Gulf states fear blowback of US escalation in Yemen

This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo on the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, Yemen, Nov. 20, 2023.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Analysis

From BRICS to dwindling oil revenues, 2024 was mixed year for Gulf

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Gulf states reach out to new Syrian leaders ahead of Jordan talks: What we know

People chant slogans and wave flags in celebration after performing the first Friday prayer since the fall of the Assad regime at the Umayyad Mosque on Dec. 13, 2024 in Damascus, Syria.

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

Jennifer Gnana

Gulf Correspondent

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Karen Young

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

A US Navy Martin UAV drone flies over the Gulf waters as Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) Abdulrahman Al Fadhel takes part in joint naval exercise between US 5th Fleet Command and Bahraini forces, on October 26, 2021. - The US and Bahrain navies conducted a joint exercise at sea, launching a series of drills integrating unmanned systems into regional maritime operations. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP) (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)

Bahrain announces UK inclusion in key security pact with US

Bahrain signed the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement with the Biden administration in September 2023; Manama plans to turn it into a multilateral agreement with more members amid regional threats.

US President Donald Trump (L) speaks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2nd R) and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May smile during a family photo session at the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. (Photo by KIM KYUNG-HOON / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read KIM KYUNG-HOON/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Beyond congratulations, Trump faces changed, eastward-looking Gulf

Gulf states are familiar with Donald Trump and his transactional nature but have also managed to forge their own regional alliances over the last four years.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

An exterior view of the US Capitol on September 9, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Analysis

US lawmakers act to boost Israel-Arab military coordination to counter Iran

Legislation to promote information sharing between senior Arab and Israeli military officials is on its way to becoming law.

Megan Mineiro

By Megan Mineiro

In Washington, DC, reporting on US Congress

A Middle East Airlines commercial aircraft taking off from Beirut's international airport flies amid smoke billowing above the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs, in the aftermath of overnight Israeli airstrikes, on Sept. 28,2024.

Middle East airlines alter, axe flights following Iran missile attack on Israel

Late on Tuesday, Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in what it said was in retaliation for last Friday’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Lebanon-based militia Hezbollah.

Bahrain's Bapco Energies signs pipeline deal with BlackRock

Bahrain, one of the smallest producers in the Gulf, is focused on developing its downstream sector and looking at asset monetization deals.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R), meets with Bahraini king Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (L) August 18, 2002 at Tehran.

Analysis

Will Iran and Bahrain open new chapter in bilateral ties?

Iran and Bahrain are signalling rapprochement, which could be significant for the regional dynamics; yet amid deep-seated tensions and clashing interests, any genuine thaw will need trust-building and a willingness to navigate a complex web of regional rivalries.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People on May 31, 2024, in Beijing, China.

Bahrain king pardons 457 prisoners: What we know

Bahrain’s human rights record has been widely criticized, despite recent pardons, and the latest move follows efforts to repair relations with Iran.

Imane Khelif

Middle East athletes rack up 44 medals at Paris Olympics

Ten Middle Eastern countries won medals at this year's Paris games.

Pictured are participants of the 19th Asia Cooperation Dialogue Ministerial Meeting held June 24, 2024, in Tehran.

US cautious on Iran’s Bahrain frozen funds claims, warns of sanctions

The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Monday that officials from Iran's and Bahrain’s central banks held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the release of Iran's “foreign exchange resources in Bahrain.”

Who is Saraya al-Ashtar, Bahraini group that claimed to target Israel?

US and Bahraini officials have said Saraya al-Ashtar operates from Iranian territory.

Bahrain's Investcorp, China's CIC launch $1B Sino-Gulf investment platform

The companies the fund will target are expected to have high growth potential in attractive sectors, including consumer, health care, logistics and business services, the Bahrain-based alternative asset manager said.

(L to R) EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud during a plenary session titled "Transforming for a New Era", during the Doha Forum in Qatar's capital on March 26, 2022. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

What does EU visa relaxation for Saudi, Bahraini, Omani citizens mean?

Under the new rules, Bahraini, Omani and Saudi Arabian nationals will be eligible for multiple-entry visas, allowing them to visit the Schengen area (the EU’s 27 member states as well as Bulgaria and Romania) and move freely between them.