Defense Minister Benny Gantz's visit to Bahrain, accompanied by Israeli Navy Vice Admiral David Saar Salama, is nothing short of historic, one of the many outcomes of the Abraham Accords that continue to increase as time goes on.
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The tiny island nation located between Saudi Arabia and Iran hosts the United States Navy's Fifth Fleet. Just two years ago it would have seemed impossible for Manama and Jerusalem to normalize ties and for the defense minister to make an official visit to the Gulf nation to discuss security cooperation.
It seems that cooperation with Bahrain – located 140 miles from Iran – is beneficial for Israel in several ways. And although it is hard to imagine Manama will allow Jerusalem to operate its ships on Bahraini soil anytime soon, signing a security memorandum of understanding and gathering intelligence from its territory certainly are. Bahrain, in turn, will be exposed to military technological capabilities unlike any it has ever seen before, and receive protection against the Iranian threat.
Gantz's visit will also resonate across the Middle East, where conflict on the Temple Mount could impact what is happening in Iran. Iran strives to exert its influence, and sometimes power, on Arab countries that closely neighbor Israel. All of a sudden, Israel behaves the same way and arrives at Iran's doorstep. So Tehran's response may include warnings and threats to the countries of the regions, perhaps even action.
The Biden administration has mostly withdrawn from the region militarily, but it continues its diplomatic work in the region in all areas. Washington is pressed to present some kind of achievement ahead of November's elections to try and preserve the Democratic majority in both houses, with the remaining two years of Biden's presidency bound to be challenging.
One such important achievement could be the signing of the Iran nuclear deal. Not for nothing has the US organized a large-scale naval exercise from the Fifth Fleet that includes 60 ships, which the Israeli navy will soon join too.
It is to pressure Iran to sign the agreement. This is an obvious American interest, and we sometimes serve as extras in this production. Either way, Gantz's visit to Manama provides fertile ground for further cooperation between Bahrain and the Fifth Fleet. This connection is vital for Israel's security and the source of a major headache for Iran.
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