The U.S. Navy is considering adding unmanned Israeli boats to its joint Middle East operations, a U.S. official said earlier in the day, a move that could deepen Israel's military involvement in the Gulf and further anger Tehran.
Israel is due to become the 29th country to post an attache to the Fifth Fleet's Manama headquarters, officials said, adding the as-yet unnamed envoy would likely be of navy captain or commander rank.
"It's about keeping the lines of communication open" bilaterally between Israel and the fleet, a U.S. official said, referring to the plan to station the envoy in the Gulf kingdom.
Israel has not formally confirmed the appointment.
Bennett told Fleet chief Vice Admiral Brad Cooper at a meeting on Tuesday that he expected "the cooperation among the region's countries and powerful ally the United States will keep getting closer", the prime minister's office said.
The U.S. official said the Fifth Fleet was examining dozens of unmanned vessels as part of current Gulf exercises, and it was interested in Israeli-made surface drones as possible complements to flying and underwater drones.