U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday praised Israel's normalization of ties with the UAE and said he hoped to see other Arab countries follow suit.

"I'm very hopeful that we will see other Arab nations join in this," he said in Jerusalem, standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said the deal with the Emirates, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, "was a boon to peace and regional stability".

"I think it heralds a new era where we could have other nations join," he added.

Pompeo spoke of the opportunity awaiting future partners "to work alongside, to recognize the State of Israel".

Netanyahu said he had been reassured on the issue by Pompeo, who began a Middle East visit in Jerusalem that will showcase U.S. support for Israeli-Arab peace efforts and building a front against Iran.

A U.S.-brokered deal on normalizing relations between Israel and the UAE was announced on August 13.

Pompeo said Washington had provided the UAE with military support for more than 20 years, measures he described as needed to stave off shared threats from Iran.

Bruised by the UN Security Council's rejection of a U.S. draft resolution for extending an arms embargo on Iran, the Trump administration is seeking a "snapback" of UN sanctions that had been eased as part of a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

"We are determined to use every tool that we have to ensure that they (Iran) can't get access to high-end weapons systems," Pompeo said. "We think it's in the best interest of the whole world."

The Palestinians warned the Trump administration against trying to sideline them in the Middle East diplomatic push.

"Recruiting Arabs to recognize Israel and open embassies does not make Israel a winner," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in an interview with Reuters. "You are putting the whole region in a lose-lose situation because you are designing the road for a forever conflict in the region."

Pompeo will later travel to Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

(With input from Reuters, AFP)