By Habib Toumi
MANAMA: “The U.S. was here, is here, and is not going anywhere.”
With those emphatic words, U.S. Ambassador Stephanie L. Hallett underscored the enduring nature of the American-Bahraini relationship on September 15, 2026, as she welcomed guests to the 250 U.S. Independence Day reception in Manama.
The occasion was historic in its own right. Hallett was the first American woman ambassador to Bahrain to host an Independence Day reception, marking another milestone in a bilateral relationship that has evolved significantly since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1971.
In January, Hallett presented her credentials to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, becoming the 20th U.S. ambassador to Bahrain and breaking a tradition that had lasted for more than five decades: all 19 of her predecessors who served as ambassadors in residence in Bahrain had been men.
But beyond the symbolism of the occasion, Hallett used the reception to emphasize continuity, partnership and the possibilities that lie ahead.
Throughout the reception, she took time to listen to all kinds of remarks from guests who wanted to shake her hand and exchange remarks.
She was all smiles, a gracious and attentive hostess who appeared determined to make every guest feel welcome and at ease, despite the scale of the reception and the demands of the occasion, answering questions and exchanging observations with those who approached her.
The personal approach complemented the central message of her remarks: that Bahrain-U.S. relations rest on a deep and established foundation, while still offering considerable space for new areas of cooperation.
In her speech earlier, in the presence of the Guest of Honor, H.H. Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty the King, government ministers, ambassadors, and officials, Hallett stressed that the Bahrain-US relations and partnership were being built on a strong foundation, with significant opportunities for further cooperation.
flanked by ambassadors, ministers, MPs, senior officials … (Al Ayam)
She traced bilateral ties back to the arrival of American missionaries in Bahrain and the work of American geologists involved in the discovery of oil, before bringing the story into the present day, where cooperation extends across education, academia, science, business and security.
“The work we do together in security, deterrence and prosperity in the region, is second to none,” she said.
The ambassador stressed that the relationship was expanding into new areas, including critical minerals, space exploration, artificial intelligence and civil nuclear cooperation.
She also highlighted the importance of people-to-people ties, particularly through education, cultural exchanges and the exchange of ideas, pointing to growing educational exchanges, including Bahraini participation in US programs such as Fulbright and Humphrey fellowships, alongside Americans coming to Bahrain.
Economic and trade relations, meanwhile, provide another significant avenue for expansion as the two countries enter the next 20 years of their Free Trade Agreement. Bilateral trade reached nearly $4 billion in 2025, she said.
Security and regional cooperation constitute another major pillar of the relationship. Hallett referred to cooperation through the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA), the Abraham Accords, and the two countries’ work together at the United Nations Security Council.
She described that cooperation as “true and based on common values.”
A career diplomat with deep regional experience
Hallett is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service whose diplomatic career has taken her across the Middle East and beyond.
Before arriving in Bahrain, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Israel from July to November 2023.
Prior to that assignment, she was Acting Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa and Director of Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council.
Her earlier diplomatic assignments included Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman.
She also served as Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat Staff at the State Department in Washington, D.C.; Political and Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Manama; and Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.
Her Washington assignments included work in the Office of Iranian Affairs and the State Department Operations Center. She also served at the U.S. Consulates General in Monterrey, Mexico, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
A native of Florida, Hallett holds a B.A. from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and an M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. She speaks Arabic and Spanish.
She succeeded Steven C. Bondy, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2021 and served as ambassador until 2025. Bondy, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, was the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, several State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, and the Department of Defense Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award. In 2016, he was recognized as the State Department Senior Foreign Policy Advisor of the Year.
Hallett’s appointment has a wider historical resonance, coming 18 years after Bahrain in 2018 named Houda Ezra Nonoo as its ambassador to the United States.
Nonoo’s appointment was itself historic. She became the first Jewish ambassador of an Arab country to the United States and served in Washington until 2013. Her diplomatic responsibilities also covered Bahraini representation to Canada, Mexico and Brazil on a non-resident basis.
Bahrain has regularly appointed women ambassadors to major capitals, including Washington, London, Paris, Beijing, Cairo, Brussels, and Bangkok, as well as a female chargé d’affaires to Malaysia.
Turkey’s Hilal Başkal made history as the first woman ambassador to Bahrain in 2001. She served until 2005. Two more Turkish women were later appointed: Hatun Demirer (2013-2018) and Esin Çakil (2021-2024).
Several other countries, mainly from Asia and Europe, also had appointed women ambassadors to Bahrain.
List of US ambassadors to Bahrain:
John N. Gatch, Jr. (1971-1972) – Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
William A. Stoltzfus, Jr. (1972-1974) – Ambassador to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates, working out of Kuwait.
Joseph W. Twinam (1974-1976) – First ambassador in residence in Manama.
Wat T. Cluverius, 4th (1976-1978)
Robert H. Pelletreau, Jr. (1979-1980)
Peter A. Sutherland (1980-1983)
Donald C. Leidel (1983-1986)
Sam H. Zakhem (1986-1989)
Charles Warren Hostler (1989-1993)
David S. Robins (1993-1994) – Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
David M. Ransom (1994-1997)
Johnny Young (1997-2001)
Ronald E. Neumann (2001-2004)
William T. Monroe (2004-2007)
Adam Ereli (2007-2011)
Thomas C. Krajeski (2011–2014)
William V. Roebuck (2015-2017)
Justin Siberell (2017-2020)
Steven C. Bondy (2021 – 2025)
Stephanie Hallett (2026 – Present)
U.S. female ambassadors to the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates):
Frances Dee Cook (Oman 1995 – 1998)
Elizabeth Davenport McKune (Qatar 1998 – 2001)
Maureen E. Quinn (Qatar 2001 – 2004)
Marcelle Wahba (UAE 2001 – 2004)
Deborah K. Jones (Kuwait 2008 – 2011)
Susan L. Ziadeh (Qatar 2011 – 2014)
Greta C. Holtz (Oman 2012 – 2015)
Dana Shell Smith (Qatar 2014 – 2017)
Barbara A. Leaf (UAE 2015 – 2018)
Alina Romanowski (Kuwait 2020 – 2022)
Leslie Meredith Tsou (Oman 2020 – 2023)
Martina A. Strong (UAE 2023 – 2025)
Karen Sasahara (Kuwait 2023 – 2025)
Ana A. Escrogima (Oman 2023 – Present)
Washington has yet to appoint a woman as its ambassador in Riyadh, even though Saudi Arabia made history by naming Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud as its ambassador to the United States in February 2019.
Although no woman has served as U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Washington has on several occasions entrusted women with the embassy’s top diplomatic responsibilities on an interim basis as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
The list includes Martina A. Strong, who served in January 2021; Alison Dilworth, who served in January 2025; and Jennifer Larson, who assumed the role in August 2026.
