Manama, Bahrain. Photo: Wadiia via Wikimedia Commons.

Israel is set to open an official embassy in Bahrain this month, completing a decades-long process of building diplomatic relations with the Gulf country.

Ties between Israel and Bahrain have been conducted secretly for some 25 years, but have become more and more public over the past decade, including the opening of an unofficial diplomatic mission.

Bahrain officially normalized relations with Israel when the two countries signed the “Abraham Accords” in September.

Axios reported that, by the end of December, the secret diplomatic mission will be shut down and an embassy will be opened at a new site, which will be publicly labeled with an Israeli flag.

Two Israeli diplomats have reportedly already arrived in the Bahraini capital of Manama and received official accreditation. The process of choosing a site is underway, and the Israeli government wants to open the embassy as soon as possible in order to foster the burgeoning business ties between the two countries.

A senior Israeli diplomat, Dror Gabbay, told Axios that Bahraini authorities greeted the delegation warmly and had been helpful with the ongoing process of establishing the embassy.

“It was all very natural and easygoing. I am not sure I would have believed you if you told me this would be the reality three months ago,” he commented.

However, security will be tight because of fears of a possible Iranian attack in retaliation for the recent assassination of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, which Iran has blamed on Israel.