Bahraini king receives award from Trump

US President Donald Trump reportedly gave the prestigious Legion of Merit, Degree Chief Commander to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Al-Monitor Staff
Al-Monitor Staff
bahrain-medal.png
A screenshot shows a tweet the US Embassy in Manama posted on Jan. 19, 2021, congratulating Bahrain's king for receiving the Legion of Merit from US President Donald Trump. — Twitter/US Embassy Manama

US President Donald Trump on his final full day in office bestowed a prestigious award on Bahrain's leader.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received the Legion of Merit, Degree Chief Commander on Tuesday, according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency and the US Embassy Manama.

The Legion of Merit, Degree Chief Commander is a rare award given out by the US president to other heads of state. In presenting the award, Trump praised Khalifa for Bahrain’s establishment of relations with Israel and its hosting of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, the agency reported.

Bahrain has also hosted a US Navy presence for half a century. 

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