Updated

A senior U.S. diplomat who was ordered to leave Bahrain after meeting with a leading Shiite opposition group is to return to the Gulf Arab country, five months after his expulsion.

The U.S. State Department says Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Tom Malinowski will be arriving to Bahrain late on Tuesday and staying until Thursday. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson will also be in Bahrain during that time.

They are expected to meet with government officials, members of the opposition and civil society in the tiny Gulf nation that is home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.

Malinowski was asked to leave Bahrain during the first day of his visit in July. At the time, he said the decision was aimed at "undermining dialogue."