Bahrain to normalize ties with Israel

Bahrain became the latest Arab nation to agree to normalize ties with Israel. The move comes as part of a broader diplomatic push by US President Donald Trump and his administration to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East.

Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

"This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East,'' Trump, Netanyahu and King Hamad said in the statement. "Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region.''