UAE Denies Reports of Secret Netanyahu Visit During Iran War
Abu Dhabi says ties with Israel are conducted openly under Abraham Accords after Israeli premier’s office claimed a covert meeting took place
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The United Arab Emirates on Thursday denied reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited the country, after Netanyahu’s office said he had secretly met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the recent war with Iran.
“The United Arab Emirates denies reports circulating regarding an alleged visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the UAE, or receiving any Israeli military delegation in the country,” the Emirati Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry stressed that relations between the UAE and Israel are “public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords,” rejecting what it described as claims based on “non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”
The denial came a day after Netanyahu’s office announced that he had “paid a secret visit” to the UAE during the regional conflict with Iran, claiming the trip resulted in a “historic breakthrough” in bilateral relations.
According to Israeli media reports, the alleged meeting was said to have taken place in the Emirati city of Al Ain near the Oman border.
The reports emerged amid heightened regional tensions following the Israeli-US military campaign against Iran earlier this year, which triggered retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting several Gulf states, including the UAE.
During the conflict, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly said Israel had deployed Iron Dome air defense systems and personnel to the UAE to help counter Iranian attacks.
While the Emirati government did not directly address those claims, Abu Dhabi has publicly condemned Iranian strikes on its territory and warned against broader regional escalation.
The UAE normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords, becoming the first Gulf Arab state to establish formal diplomatic ties with Israel.
The agreement opened the door to expanded cooperation in trade, technology, tourism, and security, though the relationship has faced growing public scrutiny across the Arab world since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023.
Abu Dhabi has increasingly sought to present its relationship with Israel as institutional and transparent, particularly as regional tensions with Iran have intensified and speculation has grown over Gulf-Israeli security coordination behind the scenes.