A meeting that took place discreetly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly traveled secretly to the United Arab Emirates during the war between his country and Iran. He was received without any official announcement by the Emirati president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as announced by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office on Wednesday.
“During the ongoing Israel-US military operation against Iran launched on February 28th, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates and met with the president of the federation,” states an official statement. The United Arab Emirates is one of the few Arab countries to have normalized its relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020.
However, the authorities in Abu Dhabi have denied these allegations. “The United Arab Emirates denies the information circulating about an alleged visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Emirates, or the reception of any Israeli military delegation in the country,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified in a statement on Wednesday evening.
Historical breakthrough in relations between the two countries
On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Israel stated that during the war with Iran, the Israeli state sent anti-aircraft defense systems and personnel to the Emirates. While not confirming this information, the statement from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office assures that his visit “led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”
This visit also drew a response from Iranian diplomacy. “Collusion with Israel is unforgivable,” wrote Seyed Abbas Araghchi. “Those who collude with Israel to sow division will be held accountable,” added the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Emirates were targeted almost daily by Iran during the Middle East war, which was initiated on February 28th by the joint US and Israel attack on Tehran. A ceasefire has been in effect for the past month, but Abu Dhabi has reported several missile and drone attacks from Iran.
The Emirates, with significant oil reserves, are one of the main allies of the United States in the region and are among the Arab countries that have normalized their relations with Israel following the signing of the Abraham Accords during the first term of US President Donald Trump.
