A landmark peace deal has been signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The historic agreement, which was brokered by the Trump administration, sees the two Arab nations recognise Israel as a sovereign country, becoming just the third and fourth Gulf states to do so. Prior to the agreement, Egypt and Jordan — who signed peace treaties in 1978 and 1994 — were the only countries in the region willing to acknowledge Israel's sovereignty. The normalising of diplomatic relations between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain is also likely to open up a number of new trade opportunities. At the signing ceremony held at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said the deal marked "the dawn of a new Middle East" following "decades of division and conflict". "We're here this afternoon to change the course of history," the president announced. "Together these agreements will serve as the foundation for a comprehensive peace across the entire region, something which nobody thought was possible, certainly not in this day and age. These agreements prove that the nations of the region are breaking free from failed approaches of the past. Today's signing sets history on a new course and there will be other countries very very soon that will follow these great leaders." Tweeting out a scriptural reference to mark the occasion, Vice President Mike Pence declared, "Blessed Are The Peacemakers".