Israel is coordinating with the United States and the Gulf states in the process of normalizing its relations with Saudi Arabia. This was stated by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal diplomatic relations, but secret relations have warmed up in recent years. Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince Mohammad bin Salman reportedly sees Israel as a strategic partner in fighting Iranian influence in the region.

Lapid warned that the process of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia would be a long one and progress would be made in small steps, stressing that the security interests of both countries were at stake.

His comments come after dozens of Israeli tech entrepreneurs and businessmen recently visited Saudi Arabia for preliminary talks about Saudi investment in Israeli companies and Israeli investment funds.

Last week, a pair of senior US officials were reportedly in Saudi Arabia for secret talks on an agreement that could strengthen Washington's ties with Riyadh and also move the kingdom closer to normalizing relations with Israel.

According to Axios, the trip was part of an effort to finalize an agreement to transfer the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir from Egypt to Saudi Arabia.

The islands feature prominently in the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement, and so their transfer to Saudi control requires some Israeli support. As a result, the US and Israel are reportedly pushing Riyadh to take a series of small steps toward full normalization of relations with Israel.