"Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed he made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates at the height of the Iran war to meet president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE, the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement on Wednesday night. The two leaders met for several hours in Al Ain, an oasis city by the Oman border, on 26 March, Reuters reported."
"A source told the news agency that Mossad director David Barnea made at least two visits to the UAE during the war with Iran to coordinate military actions. The intelligence chief's visit was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The covert visit and meeting between the two leaders is the latest milestone in a rapidly developing Middle East alliance."
"On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, disclosed that Israel had shared its air defence system with the UAE, sending Iron Dome batteries and military specialists to operate them over the course of the war. There's an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel, Huckabee said."
"It was also reported that the UAE had secretly carried out its own strikes on Iran, including an attack on a refinery on Lavan island in early April, in retaliation for Iranian attacks on its oil facilities, according to the Wall Street Journal. In 2020, the UAE was the first Islamic country to sign an agreement normalising relations with Israel, and was followed by three other Islamic countries: Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, in what were described as the Abraham accords."
Netanyahu made a secret trip to the UAE during the Iran war to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Al Ain on 26 March. The meeting followed intelligence coordination, with Mossad director David Barnea reportedly visiting the UAE at least twice during the war to coordinate military actions. The covert diplomacy is part of a fast-growing Middle East alignment. During the war, Israel shared its air-defense system with the UAE, including Iron Dome batteries and specialists to operate them. The UAE also carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran, including an attack on a refinery on Lavan island. The UAE’s normalization with Israel began in 2020 and expanded through the Abraham accords, while the UAE has pursued a more independent foreign policy, including leaving Opec.
#israel-uae-relations #iran-war #mossad-and-intelligence-coordination #iron-dome-air-defense #abraham-accords
Read at www.theguardian.com
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