TEHRAN, Mar. 09 (MNA) – Iran's special aide to the speaker of the parliament on international affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, predicted that Bahrain and UAE are to face challenges over the recent normalization of ties with the Israeli regime.

In an interview with Sputnik, he said Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates would experience "major" challenges on a domestic level after signing an agreement on the normalization of ties with the Israeli regime.

"In the near future, rulers of the UAE and Bahrain, who announced the normalization of ties [with Israeli regime], will face problems and major challenges within their countries," Amir-Abdollahian said.

The normalization act was taking place under "tremendous" pressure on Manama and Abu Dhabi from the United States, the official added, noting that the Persian Gulf states had no say in the matter.

When giving a comment on media reports that emerged in late February on forming a four-nation defense alliance between the Israeli regime, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain against Iran, the Tehran official said it is a fraud.

"Netanyahu’s claims on the creation of such alliances is nothing but a lie," Amir-Abdollahian said.

A landmark agreement, officially known as the Abraham Accords, on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Israeli regime and the two Persian Gulf nations — the UAE and Bahrain — was signed in Washington last September.

Morocco and Sudan later followed suit, inking similar agreements with the Israeli regime.

The rapprochement met harsh criticism in Palestine.

HJ/PR