Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomed Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa — who is also the country's prime minister and deputy supreme commander of the armed forces — to the Pentagon today for an engagement to reaffirm the U.S.-Bahrain defense partnership.
Hegseth began the meeting by expressing gratitude for Bahrain's support of U.S. military bases and forces.
"We know, front and center, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been a long-standing partner of the Department of Defense [as] host to our [U.S. Navy] 5th Fleet," Hegseth told Salman.
The Navy's 5th Fleet has been headquartered in Bahrain since 1995.
"So many of our warfighters and their families — thousands — have been graciously hosted for quite some time [and] we want to publicly … thank you for that," Hegseth said.
Hegseth also said the U.S. can always count on Bahrain, as evidenced by the country's support for U.S. Central Command's June 22, 2025, strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Operation Midnight Hammer.
Additionally, Hegseth pointed out that Bahrain was one of the original countries in 2020 to sign the Abraham Accords, a series of diplomatic agreements that are aimed at establishing diplomatic normalization between Israel and numerous Arab states.
"You are committed to peace through strength, just like we are in that region," Hegseth said.
During his brief opening remarks, Salman pointed out that the U.S.-Bahrain defense partnership is "not a new relationship," noting — though the official relationship between the two countries was formally established in 1948 when Bahrain agreed to the establishment of a permanent U.S. naval presence — it was in 1893 that U.S. missionaries came to Bahrain and other Arabian Gulf countries to help heal the sick.
"We will continue to deepen this relationship … we are so proud of this strong cooperation, and I am all ears to hear how we can best help," Salman told Hegseth, adding he was looking forward to discussing defense requirements and how both countries can work to fill them.