The United States ambassador to Bahrain is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Bahrain. The current Ambassador to Bahrain is Steven C. Bondy who has been serving since 9 February 2022.
Until 1971, Bahrain had been part of a British protectorate along with the other sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf. In 1971 the protectorate ended and seven of the other sheikhdoms joined in a federation to become the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain, however, did not join the federation but declared its independence on 15 August 1971. The United States recognized the State of Bahrain on the same day and moved to establish diplomatic relations.
The U.S. Embassy in Manama was opened on 21 September 1971, with John N. Gatch, Jr. as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Ambassador William A. Stoltzfus, Jr. presented his credentials to the government of Bahrain on 17 February 1972. Stoltzfus was concurrently the ambassador to Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, while resident in Kuwait. The first ambassador commissioned solely to Bahrain was Joseph W. Twinam in 1974.[1]
Ambassadors and chiefs of mission
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John N. Gatch, Jr. – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | 21 September 1971 | 17 February 1972 | ||
| William Stoltzfus – Career FSO[2] | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 9 December 1971 | 17 February 1972 | 9 June 1974 | |
| Joseph W. Twinam – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 24 May 1974 | 10 June 1974 | 10 August 1976 | |
| Wat T. Cluverius IV – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 4 October 1976 | 23 October 1976 | 2 August 1978 | |
| Robert Pelletreau – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 9 February 1979 | 10 March 1979 | 3 April 1980 | |
| Peter Adams Sutherland – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 30 June 1980 | 12 July 1980 | 1 September 1983 | |
| Donald C. Leidel – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 7 October 1983 | 12 November 1983 | 1 October 1986 | |
| Sam H. Zakhem – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 12 September 1986 | 6 October 1986 | 1 August 1989 | |
| Charles Warren Hostler – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 10 October 1989 | 28 October 1989 | 1 March 1993 | |
| David S. Robins – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | 1 March 1993 | 18 July 1994 | ||
| David M. Ransom – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 5 July 1994 | 18 July 1994 | 28 July 1997 | |
| Johnny Young – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 7 November 1997 | 11 December 1997 | 29 September 2001 | |
| Ronald E. Neumann – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 17 September 2001 | 9 October 2001 | 7 June 2004 | |
| William T. Monroe – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 2 July 2004 | 31 August 2004 | 5 August 2007 | |
| J. Adam Ereli – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 2 July 2007 | 12 September 2007 | 14 January 2011 | |
| Thomas C. Krajeski - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 26 October 2011 | 22 November 2011 | 15 December 2014 | |
| William V. Roebuck - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 18 November 2014 | 20 January 2015 | 31 October 2017 | |
| Justin Siberell - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 27 July 2017 | 12 November 2017 | 13 July 2020 | |
| Maggie Nardi | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | 13 July 2020 | 9 February 2022 | ||
| Steven C. Bondy | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | 18 December 2021 | 9 February 2022 | Incumbent |
Notes
See also
- Bahrain–United States relations
- Embassy of the United States, Manama
- Ambassadors of Bahrain to the United States
- Embassy of Bahrain, Washington, D.C.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Bahrain
- United States Department of State: Bahrain
- United States Embassy in Manama
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| Diplomacy | |
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