Forget the polite diplomatic scripts.

Since Trump walked back into the Oval Office, Bahrain has quietly vaulted into one of the most aggressively upgraded U.S. allies in the Gulf—faster, deeper, and more strategically than anyone in Washington dares to admit.

What looks like “routine cooperation” is, in reality, a major geopolitical pivot: a tiny island turning into one of Trump’s sharpest instruments of power projection in Iran’s backyard.

The centerpiece is Bahrain’s acquisition of the F-16 Block 70—America’s newest, most lethal version of the fighter jet.

Clearly, these are not “symbolic toys”. They are the backbone of a new Trump-era balance of power, equipped with AESA radars, new mission computers, improved weapons packages, and survivability........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)