Israel training Bahraini intelligence, agrees drone sales, official tells WSJ

Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet security services have been training Bahrain's intelligence officers, a senior Bahraini official has told the Wall Street Journal.

Tel Aviv has agreed to sell Bahrain drones and anti-drone systems, the WSJ reported Tuesday, citing the unnamed official.

Bahrain and Israel agreed to normalise ties in 2020 through the US-brokered Abraham Accords, and the two countries have signed security cooperation agreements.

Three other Arab states agreed to normalise ties with Israel through the accords - Morocco, Sudan and the UAE.

US President Joe Biden will press for Israel and Arab states to form new security ties during his visit to the Middle East this week, US officials have said. The visit will include stops in Israel, the occupied Palestinian West Bank and Saudi Arabia.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said last month that it was building a US-sponsored regional air alliance.

The alliance had foiled attacks by Iran, Gantz claimed. He did not say which countries were part of the alliance.

Iranian Foreign Minister Nasser Kanani said an Israel-Arab air alliance would "weaken common regional security and serve the security interests of the Zionist regime".

Israel has already offered to provide direct air defence help to the UAE, WSJ also reported without citing sources.

The UAE has been hit by a series of air strikes from Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen in the last few years.

Though Israel offered intelligence assistance in the wake of attacks earlier this year, it refused to sell the UAE its Iron Dome air defence system.