(Jan 17): British Airways (BA) has paused operations to Bahrain amid tensions between the US and Iran that could reverberate across the Persian Gulf and affect countries with a US military presence. The British flag carrier halted flights to Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, through Jan 20, according to the airline’s website. A spokesperson for British Airways said that it had temporarily paused flights to the Gulf nation as a precautionary measure and that it would monitor the situation in the region. The UK carrier also paused operations to Bahrain in June before Iran fired missiles at a base in Qatar. Imperial Airways, a predecessor to BA, began service in 1932 that stopped in Bahrain en route to India when the kingdom was a British protectorate.

Source: The Edge Markets January 16, 2026 16:37 UTC