Bahrain will continue building relations with Israel after former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies won Israel's general elections, said Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, a diplomatic adviser to Bahrain's king, Reuters reported.

Arab leaders have for the most part remained silent about the victory of Netanyahu, whose record of tough opposition to Iran has helped forge ties with Sunni Muslim leaders in the Persian Gulf. Israel under the Netanyahu government normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020, under U.S.-brokered pacts called the Abrahamic Accords.

According to the adviser, Netanyahu's victory was normal and always expected.

U.S. and Israeli officials raised the idea of an integrated air defense system in the Middle East during U.S. President Joe Biden's July trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia.