Bahrain to step up cooperation with Israel amid Iran tension

Bahrain agreed to step up cooperation with Israel, hosting a first visit by its leader Naftali Bennett that highlighted an increasing Israeli presence in the Gulf amid high tensions with regional power Iran, Reuters reported.

Bennett concluded a two-day visit to Manama, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and several international naval task forces, in a first by any Israeli leader following the 2020 normalisation of bilateral relations.

The two governments agreed on a process of building a bilateral plan dubbed the “Warm Peace Strategy” that would prioritize several sectors including food security, water, sustainable energy, trade and investment, a statement issued by Bennett’s office said. The two countries also agreed to expedite negotiations on a joint tax treaty.

Bennett described his trip as a chance to forge a common stand against Iran and its allies including Yemen’s Houthis, whose attacks on the UAE this year jarred the oil-producing region.

“We are trying to form a new regional architecture of moderate countries (to) provide stability, economic prosperity and to be able to stand strong against enemies who are fomenting chaos and terror,” Bennett said.

The US Navy is considering adding unmanned Israeli boats to its joint Middle East operations, a US official said earlier in the day, a move that could deepen Israel’s military involvement in the Gulf and further anger Tehran.

Israel is due to become the 29th country to post an attache to the Fifth Fleet’s Manama headquarters, officials said, adding the as-yet unnamed envoy would likely be of navy captain or commander rank.

“It’s about keeping the lines of communication open” bilaterally between Israel and the fleet, a US official said, referring to the plan to station the envoy in the Gulf kingdom.

Bennett told Fleet chief Vice Admiral Brad Cooper at a meeting on Tuesday that he expected “the cooperation among the region’s countries and powerful ally the United States will keep getting closer,” the prime minister’s office said.