(RepublicanPress.org) – According to official state media, Bahrain’s Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa passed away at the US Mayo Clinic on November 11. At age 84, he was uncle to the country’s current king and brother of its previous monarch. Prince Khalifa also served as prime minister from January 1970 until he died, making him the world’s longest-serving individual in that role.
Leaders and dignitaries worldwide expressed their condolences at his passing, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posting a tweet praising the prince’s longstanding “commitment to peace.”
We are greatly saddened by the passing of His Royal Highness, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and offer our deepest condolences. We honor his demonstrated commitment to peace and his steady promotion of dialogue.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 12, 2020
Prince Khalifa was known as a traditionalist who pushed back against the Arab Spring, stating it only served to bring “death, chaos, and destruction” to the region. During his tenure, he forged a close relationship with the United States, and the island nation of Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Foreign affairs experts note that Bahrain’s choice of successor for the prince could signal whether the country seeks to move in a more moderate direction moving forward.
President Donald Trump brokered the Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement on September 11, 2020. This was a joint declaration to smooth out relations between the two countries as part of a greater strategy to bring peace to the region.
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