PM Netanyahu reveals secret visit to UAE during Iran war, leading to ‘historic breakthrough’ in relations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly traveled to the United Arab Emirates during the Iran war for a visit that led “to a historic breakthrough in relations” between the two Abraham Accord partners, the Prime Minister's Office stated on Wednesday.

During the visit, Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, with Israeli media reporting that this was one of the factors leading to the decision to lend the UAE an Iron Dome battery and the necessary soldiers to support its air defenses during the war.

Despite Israel's official announcement, the UAE denied the visit had taken place. Emirati officials have reportedly been angry with Israeli officials for revealing secret contacts several times in the past.

“The UAE reaffirms that its relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements,” the UAE's Foreign Ministry stated.

“Accordingly, any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE.”

Israeli commentators highlighted that the visit would have taken place unnoticed, while the skies of both countries were completely closed due to thousands of projectiles being launched by the Iranian regime.

The Times of Israel cited a source familiar with the details who said the meeting took place in the oasis town of Al-Ain at the end of March and lasted for several hours.

Ziv Agmon, who was recently fired from his post as Netanyahu’s chief of staff, wrote on Facebook, “The prime minister was received in Abu Dhabi with royal honors.”

“Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, members of his family, and other dignitaries welcomed us and were delighted to see the prime minister of the State of Israel on their soil. The sheikh showed great respect to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and personally drove him in his private vehicle from the airplane to the palace,” he added.

Netanyahu's visit quickly drew a harsh response from the Iranian regime, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noting that Israel “now publicly revealed what Iran's security services long ago conveyed to our leadership.”

“Enmity with the Great People of Iran is a foolish gamble. Collusion with Israel in doing so: unforgivable. Those colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account,” he warned.

On Thursday morning, the UK Maritime Trade Operations center reported that a ship anchored off the Emirati coast was seized and headed toward Iranian waters, though there was no immediate Iranian statement connecting the incident to Aragchi’s warning.

The revelation of Netanyahu’s visit followed several reports highlighting the close relations between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi this week.

The transfer of an Iron Dome battery was first confirmed by U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz on Monday, and confirmed by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Tuesday.

The UAE was the most targeted country in the region during the war, with the defense ministry reporting Iranian attacks of as many as 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones overall.

On Wednesday, media outlets revealed that the directors of both of Israel’s main intelligence agencies, the Mossad and the Shin Bet, visited the UAE in recent months.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Mossad Director David Barnea visited the UAE at least twice during the war, while Kan News said that David Zini, the new director of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, also traveled to the UAE in recent weeks.

The visits reportedly focused on deepening the cooperation between the security and intelligence services.

Netanyahu’s visit could be his first to the Gulf emirates since the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020, though he secretly visited the UAE in 2018, according to unconfirmed reports.

A planned trip in late 2022 was canceled following the UAE's anger over National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount, while another planned visit in late 2023 was canceled due to the war.

Former Israeli leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid both officially visited the UAE in 2021 in their capacities as prime minister and foreign minister, respectively.