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Israel, Bahrain partner against Iranian aerial threats

Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet security and intelligence agencies are also training their Bahraini counterparts.

By World Israel News Staff

Some two years after the historic Abraham Accords, which saw Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates sign normalization agreements with Israel, drones from the Jewish State are now patrolling skies in one of the Gulf Kingdoms as part of a defense pact.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Israeli drones were sold to Bahrain and are currently deployed in the country’s air space, in order to fend off the threat posed by Iranian UAVs and other potential aerial attacks.

Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet security and intelligence agencies are also training their Bahraini counterparts in various areas, including intelligence gathering and threat detection.

Notably, Israel was also reported to have sold Bahrain anti-drone missile systems, aimed at destroying UAV incursions from Iran.

Bahraini Ambassador to Israel Khaled Yousif Al Jalahma recently visited the Haifa headquarters of Israeli defense and weapons company Elbit Systems.

“It was great to visit, and meet with its management team. We reviewed the ways of possible cooperation,” Al Jalahma wrote on his Twitter account.

In March, Bahraini military officials met with their Israeli counterparts at a clandestine defense summit in Egypt, which was organized by the U.S. and included other major players in the region such as Saudi Arabia.

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The meeting was an attempt to unite Israel and Arab countries in the region, including nations that don’t have formal diplomatic relations with the Jewish State, in a military alliance against Iran.

Speaking at a security conference in June, Defense Minister Benny Gantz confirmed that Israel is partnering with regional powers in an attempt to mitigate the risks of Iranian aerial attacks and its ongoing nuclear development program.

“This plan is already in motion and has worked to foil Iranian attempts to challenge Israel and other Middle Eastern states,” Gantz said.