Bahrain

Military & Security

Politics

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa pardoned 457 prisoners to mark the 25th anniversary of his rule in the latest sign of easing repression in the island kingdom, AP reported on Sept. 4.

Bahrain: Another Prisoner Release Signals Easing Repression, but Crackdowns Remain Possible

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Israel-Hamas Conflict

Arab leaders began to arrive in Manama, Bahrain, on May 15, for the 33rd Arab League summit that will focus on developing a consensus on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, The National reported the next day.

MENA: Arab League Summit To Formalize Conditions for Gaza Reconstruction

Pakistan

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Dec. 3 reached a consensus on investment terms concerning a potential free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, Arab News Pakistan reported on Dec. 4.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Consensus on Investment Terms Bodes Well for Possible FTA

Bahrain's ambassador to Israel, Khalid Yusuf Ahmed Aljalahma, returned to Manama after his Israeli counterpart had returned to Israel earlier, Bahrain News Agency reported Nov. 2.

Bahrain, Israel: Bahrain and Israel's Ambassadors Return to Their Respective Countries 

Bahrain granted "golden licenses" to five companies who made large-scale investment promises totaling $1.4 billion, Al Arabiya reported June 15.

Bahrain: Bahrain Grants Inaugural Golden Licenses 

Qatar and Bahrain will resume diplomatic ties after almost six years, The Bahrain News Agency and Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on April 13.

Qatar, Bahrain: Countries to Resume Diplomatic Ties, but Relationship Remains Fragile

United States

Representatives from the foreign ministries of Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are meeting in Manama, Bahrain, for the first steering committee meeting of the Negev Summit, which is intended to address regional security and economic cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa, The Times of Isreal reported June 27.

MENA: Negev Summit Steering Committee Meets in Manama, Bahrain

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Bahrain's Interior Ministry announced a new Golden Residency Visa that allows long-term residents to gain permanent residency once they have lived in the country for five years and earn around $5,300 a month, Reuters reported Feb. 7.

Bahrain: Golden Residency Visa's Low Requirements Highlight Demographic, Economic Strategy

Assessments

Participants stand outside the pavilion of Oman as they attend day nine of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 9, 2023. 

The July terrorist attack in Oman will likely spark a regional security crackdown, despite the incident's limited political and economic consequences.

A Rare Terrorist Attack in Oman Portends a Regional Security Crackdown

Turkey

Europe

Israeli soldiers guard a barrier, silhouetted against afternoon sun.

As Gaza moves closer to a post-war reality, political limitations in Israel and competing interests abroad muddy the waters of the region's future governance.

For Israel, the Challenge of Gaza's Future Governance Deepens

Snapshots

Iran

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa attends a signing ceremony following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, on May 23, 2024. 

Bahrain-Iran normalization would reduce risks for Manama amid rising regional tensions, but security and some political vulnerabilities remain.

Normalization With Iran Would Reduce -- but Not Eliminate -- Security Risks for Bahrain

Students from the American University of Beirut (AUB) rally in support of Palestinians outside the main gate of the university in the Lebanese capital on Oct. 9, 2023. 

Social Issues

Israel's likely ground invasion in Gaza will alienate many Muslims in the Middle East, pressuring their governments to respond in support of Palestinians.

Gauging the Regional Response to the Gaza Conflict

Guidance

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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China

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: EU and Chinese Officials Talk Trade, Israel Hosts an Abraham Accords Summit

A portrait of Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi is seen on a billboard in Sanaa, Yemen, on Oct. 31, 2021. 

The Yemen Civil War

Iran's Arc of Influence

By alienating wealthy Arab Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, a Lebanese official’s show of support for Iran-backed proxies risks deepening his country’s financial crisis.

A Row Over Yemen Sends Lebanon-Gulf Ties Spiraling

Hong Kong SAR, China

North Korea

India

Zhang Xiaoming (C), Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, at the end of a State Council press conference on Hong Kong electoral reform March 12, 2021, in Beijing.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended Stratfor articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: The Mainland Finalizes Hong Kong Reforms, Biden Reviews North Korea Policy

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Talaat Fahmy speaks during an interview in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 19, 2021.

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Energy

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As it emerges from isolation, Doha will be forced to rely less on its ties to the Islamist group and more on diplomatic efforts to gain influence abroad. 

What Does the End of the Qatar Blockade Mean for the Muslim Brotherhood? 

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf holds a press conference at the end of the GCC's 41st summit in the city of al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia on Jan. 5, 2021. 

Security

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Riyadh is trying to appease the incoming Biden administration, but U.S. concerns with its nuclear program and regional behavior will continue to drive rifts. 

What’s Driving Saudi Arabia to Ease Its 3-Year Qatar Blockade 

A South Korean-flagged tanker is escorted in the Persian Gulf after being seized by the Iranian navy on Jan. 4, 2021. 

U.S.-Iran Relations

Cyber

Tehran's increased nuclear and naval activity in recent days risks provoking a military response in the region, including a potential U.S. strike on Iranian soil. 

What to Make of the Latest Uptick in Iranian Aggression 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and Alternate Prime Minister and Defence Minister Benny Gantz (left) attend a cabinet meeting in the Knesset on May 24, 2020.

Israel's Survival Strategy

Should the vote yield a more right-wing government with a new leader, Arab and Muslim states may pause or even reverse their pursuit of normalized Israeli ties.

What Another Israeli Election Means for Netanyahu and Normalization 

Qatar’s defense minister (center) waits for the arrival of his Turkish counterpart to meet with the prime minister of Libya’s U.N.-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli on Aug. 17, 2020. 

The Libyan Civil War

The easing of the Qatar blockade may help resolve the current GCC crisis, but it won't unite Arab Gulf states’ divergent regional policies.

A Potential Breakthrough in Qatar Paves the Way for GCC Reconciliation 

The island of Bahrain is the smallest country in the Persian Gulf, sitting just off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia and the western coast of Qatar. It has almost no forestry to speak of and very little arable land. The country's only natural resources are a dwindling supply of hydrocarbons.      But because Bahrain has an ancient natural oasis, it is also one of the oldest inhabited places in the Gulf; there is evidence that the island was host to the Dilmun civilization as far back as the 4th millennium BCE. Bahrain was often the base of great powers who sought to control the Persian Gulf, including the ancient Assyrians, the Safavid Persians and, most recently, the British Empire. The Safavid Persians left behind a large community of Shiite believers, although the island has been under the rule of a Sunni dynasty since the 18th century.     Bahrain's main geographic challenge is securing export routes through the narrow Strait of Hormuz so it can access the wider oceans, but it rarely has the strength to do this on its own. It also often becomes the pawn of greater powers and struggles to defend itself against invaders. The country thus seeks to ally itself with outside powers that will protect it and also allow it to export its hydrocarbons. Most recently, Bahrain also has sought allies that will also protect its Sunni dynasty from its Shiite majority, who have been agitating to gain more control of the country.

SITUATION REPORTS

Bahrain: Another Prisoner Release Signals Easing Repression, but Crackdowns Remain Possible

MENA: Arab League Summit To Formalize Conditions for Gaza Reconstruction

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Consensus on Investment Terms Bodes Well for Possible FTA

Bahrain, Israel: Bahrain and Israel's Ambassadors Return to Their Respective Countries

Bahrain: Bahrain Grants Inaugural Golden Licenses

Qatar, Bahrain: Countries to Resume Diplomatic Ties, but Relationship Remains Fragile

MENA: Negev Summit Steering Committee Meets in Manama, Bahrain

Bahrain: Golden Residency Visa's Low Requirements Highlight Demographic, Economic Strategy

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