Netanyahu Says He Secretly Visited UAE at Height of Iran War, UAE Denies It

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the height of the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran, Netanyahu's office said in a statement released on Wednesday. "The visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE," the office claimed, after stating that Netanyahu had met with the UAE's president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan."

"The UAE denied the visit in a statement just hours later. It asserted that its relationship with Israel is "not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements," and thus "any claims regarding undisclosed visits or arrangements are baseless unless issued by the relevant official authorities in the UAE.""

"The UAE normalized relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020, and was the first state to sign on to the normalization agreement, which established formal diplomatic ties as well as economic cooperation between Israel and the Gulf country. Throughout Trump's time in office, he has pursued adding Saudi Arabia to the agreement, but has not been able to secure their inclusion in the accords."

"Cooperation between the UAE and Israel has deepened over the past five years, since the UAE signed on to the Abraham Accords, and in particular through the course of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Since the Abraham Accords, the UAE has expanded trade with Israel, collaborated on AI and cybersecurity, and even become a tourist destination for Israeli travelers after the launch of direct flights between the countries in 2022."

Israel’s prime minister made a secret visit to the UAE during the U.S. and Israel campaign against Iran, according to a statement from his office. The office said the meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan produced a historic breakthrough in relations. The UAE denied the visit hours later and said its relationship with Israel is not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements, rejecting claims unless issued by UAE authorities. The UAE normalized relations with Israel in 2020 through the Abraham Accords, establishing formal diplomacy and economic cooperation. Over the following years, trade expanded, collaboration grew in AI and cybersecurity, and direct flights launched in 2022 increased tourism for Israelis.

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