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

Bahrain

City Name

Manama

Bahrain

June 21, 2026

Manama 6:47 am

33°C

Aluminum from Dubai sits in the BMW Landshut factory on Oct. 25, 2024 in Ergolding, Germany.

Analysis

Gulf aluminum pursues global deals as Hormuz crisis accelerates shift

Gulf aluminum exporters are targeting global deals amid fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war, which has pushed prices to multiyear highs in early June.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Ashura

Bahrain bans mourning of Iran's Khamenei as Gulf reels from attacks

Tensions are rising in the Gulf over Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait and renewed fighting between Iran and Israel.

Latest News

Bahrain strips 69 people of citizenship for 'glorifying' Iran attacks

People walk along an alley at a bazaar in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on March 11, 2026.

Bahrain orders citizenship review as Iran war-linked crackdown escalates: What to know

Vehicles move on a road in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on March 11, 2026.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia summon Iraqi diplomats over militia attacks: What to know

A photograph shows the damage in the aftermath of a drone strike in the Seef district of Manama on March 10, 2026.

Karen Young

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

The Foreign Minister chaired the Security Council session on cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations.

China, Russia veto scaled-back Hormuz resolution at UN Security Council

The vote came hours before the US deadline for Iran to reopen the global chokepoint.

AirAsia aircraft with two engines landing on Kota Kinabalu International airport runway, Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia, March 4, 2017.

AirAsia stays course on Bahrain hub as Iran war clouds aviation growth plans

The low-cost carrier’s commitment, while conditional on how the conflict evolves, stands out as most global airlines scale back routes, delay launches and reroute flights to avoid the Middle East.

People sit in a cafe outside the Apple Store in Dubai on May 8, 2025.

Iran names US tech, finance firms in new Middle East threat list

Firms listed as potential targets included Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Palantir and Nvidia, while banking giant JPMorgan and UAE-based AI firm G42 were also listed.

A general view of South Pars gas field facilities in the southern Iranian port town of Assaluyeh, on the Gulf, Nov. 19, 2015.

Analysis

Oil-rich Gulf states could face power crunch as Iran war hits energy security

While the conflict fuels a global oil price shock, the Gulf states must contend with growing threats to their own energy security, from power cuts to desalinated water loss.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia launches new Bahrain maritime link as Hormuz routes strain

The service connects King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port.

The city skyline is pictured in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

Analysis

How long can markets hold their bet on Gulf resilience as war drags on?

A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz and continued assaults on Gulf energy infrastructure are likely to lead to regionwide credit deterioration, experts say.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Aluminum ingots in the Aluminium Dunkerque plant of the American Industrial Partner group on Jan. 13, 2022, in Loon-Plage, near Dunkirk, France.

Iran war hits Gulf aluminum exports, risking nearly 10% of global supplies

The Gulf region is a critical hub for aluminum production, supplying roughly 8% to 9% of global output, with disruptions linked to the war now set to ripple through industrial supply chains.

An Emirates Airbus A380 passenger aircraft prepares for landing at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 8, 2026.

Airlines gradually restore Middle East flights, Gulf still heavily grounded

More than 43,000 of the 78,500 scheduled flights in and out of the Middle East have been canceled since the war began Feb. 28, according to flight data firm Cirium.

United Arab Emirates

In this photo illustration, a smartphone displays the crude oil price in USD after markets in the UK opened on March 9, 2026, in London, England.

G7 readies strategic reserves after oil nears $120 amid Iran war

It is the first time oil prices have passed $100 in nearly four years as the key producers in the energy-rich Middle East curb output amid the conflict.

Outbound passengers arrive with their luggage at the Emirates check-in counter at the Iranian capital Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, on July 17, 2020.

Airlines cancel flights amid fears of US military action in Iran: What to know

Arrivals at Tehran's airport this week mainly indicated Iranian and Middle Eastern airlines were flying to the Persian country amid heightened tensions with Washington.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (C/L) welcomes President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at The Chigi Palace in Rome, on Feb. 24, 2025.

Meloni to attend GCC summit in Bahrain as Italy deepens Gulf ties

The summit is expected to focus on economic integration in the Gulf, but regional issues will likely loom just as large, including post-war Gaza and the conflict in Sudan.

Royal Bahraini Air Force F-16s perform air maneuvers during the 2018 Bahrain International Airshow at the Sakhir Airbase on Nov. 14 2018.

US approves $1.4B in military sales to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain: What to know

An estimated $1 billion in foreign military sales will go to Saudi Arabia, and $445 million will go to Bahrain.