Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz arrives in Bahrain on Feb. 2, 2022. Photo: Elad Malka / Israeli Ministry of Defense

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz landed in Bahrain on Wednesday in the first such visit by an Israeli defense minister to the Gulf country, the ministry said Wednesday.

Israel and Bahrain normalized relations in September 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the US.

Gantz was greeted by Bahraini counterpart Abdulla bin Hasan Al Nuaimi, and is expected to meet Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to sign an agreement on defense cooperation, according to Israeli media.

In another significant development, Gantz’s plane flew through Saudi airspace in order to reach Bahrain. The visit also marks the first time an Israeli Air Force plane has officially landed in the Gulf country, Gantz’s office said.

The Israeli defense chief’s visit comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, after the Iran-supported Houthi terrorist group in Yemen launched a rocket attack on the UAE earlier this week during a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The US announced Wednesday that it is sending fighter planes and a guided missile destroyer to assist the UAE in the wake of the attack. Another Houthi missile strike the week prior targeted a UAE air base.