Report to Congress on Bahrain, Issues for U.S. Policy

The following is the Sept. 23, 2026, Congressional Research Service report, Bahrain: Issues for U.S. Policy.

From the Report

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island nation connected by a causeway to Saudi Arabia (15.5 miles away) and once claimed by Iran (124 miles away). Wedged between these two larger regional powers, Bahrain has hosted a U.S. naval command headquarters since 1948. For decades, Bahrain has permitted U.S. access to its facilities and has hosted U.S. Naval Central Command (NAVCENT) and the U.S. Fifth Fleet at a base called “Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain.” NSA Bahrain has long served as the logistical hub for U.S. maritime operations in NAVCENT’s area of responsibility and has hosted thousands of American soldiers, civilians, and their families.

Since the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran began in February 2026, Bahrain’s security and economy have faced unprecedented challenges from Iranian retaliatory attacks against the island kingdom. To date, Iran’s drone and missile strikes have struck both Bahrain’s critical infrastructure and U.S. military facilities. As of fall 2026, numerous reports indicate that NSA Bahrain sustained serious damage in the opening days of the conflict. With NSA Bahrain damaged, U.S. Naval logistics operations have faced an array of challenges.

Congress routinely reviews proposed U.S. arms sales to Bahrain, and Bahraini procurement of additional advanced protection systems to counter incoming missiles and drones from Iran may accelerate in the months and years ahead. Congress also annually authorizes military construction funding for NSA Bahrain, which may require substantial repair in the near future. Preliminary reports indicate that damage to NSA Bahrain from Iran attacks is estimated to be at least $400 million. P.L. 119-60, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 authorized $42 million in military construction for maintenance and facility upgrades at NSA Bahrain. For FY2027, draft NDAA bills would authorize $5.9 million in energy programs for NSA Bahrain.

Bahrain is ruled by a hereditary monarchy and is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman); its politics have been restive, though the monarchy’s control has not been durably threatened. With a population of 1.5 million people, a little over half of whom are Bahraini citizens, Bahrain has a history of sectarian tensions between the Sunni Muslim ruling class and the Shia Muslim majority: Bahrain is the only GCC state to have a Shia majority population. Bahrain’s politics were unsettled during a 2011 uprising by a mostly Shia opposition to Bahrain’s Al Khalifa ruling family; a Saudi military intervention helped Bahrain’s government repress protests. Since 2014, the unrest has been relatively low-level. Several senior opposition leaders remain imprisoned.

Bahrain closely aligns with de facto GCC leader Saudi Arabia, which provides Bahrain with substantial financial support. Bahrain, like some other GCC states, has been building ties to Israel and, in September 2020, Bahrain signed agreements at the White House to fully normalize its relations with Israel as part of the “Abraham Accords.” During the war between Israel and Hamas, Bahrain and Israel did not sever relations, though some Bahrainis have protested bilateral ties.

Members of Congress have traveled with some frequency to Bahrain to visit U.S. armed services personnel and provide oversight over the U.S. bilateral relationship and defense presence in the kingdom.

Download the document here.