Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the recent conflict with Iran and met with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a statement released Wednesday evening by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The statement described the visit as leading to a “historic breakthrough” in relations between Israel and the UAE during one of the most sensitive regional security crises in recent years.
UAE RESPONDS TO REPORTS
Following the Israeli announcement, the UAE issued a carefully worded response emphasizing that relations with Israel “are not based on secrecy.”
The Emirati statement added that “any claim of an unpublished visit is baseless unless officially announced by the United Arab Emirates,” appearing to distance Abu Dhabi from the characterization of the trip as covert.
INTENSIFIED SECURITY COORDINATION
The developments point to significantly deeper strategic coordination between Israel and the UAE during the war with Iran.
According to Israeli sources, David Zini, head of the Shin Bet, also visited the Emirates in recent weeks as part of ongoing security consultations.
At the same time, a source familiar with the matter confirmed reports that David Barnea, director of the Mossad, made at least two secret visits to the UAE during the conflict.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Barnea traveled to the Emirates in March and April to coordinate issues connected to the fighting with Iran.
Arab officials and regional sources cited in the report viewed the visits as evidence of expanding cooperation between the two countries.
IRON DOME SYSTEMS SENT TO UAE
Further highlighting the growing partnership, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed this week that Israel transferred Iron Dome systems and operational teams to the UAE during the conflict.
Speaking at a conference at Tel Aviv University, Huckabee confirmed earlier reports that Israeli air defense assets had been deployed to assist the Emirates against regional threats.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Israeli-linked systems operating in the Gulf were also involved in strikes targeting Iranian assets, including an oil facility in the Persian Gulf region.
A SHIFTING REGIONAL ALLIANCE
The reported wartime coordination underscores the dramatic transformation in relations between Israel and several Gulf states since the signing of the Abraham Accords.
What began as normalization agreements has increasingly evolved into strategic security cooperation focused on countering shared threats from Iran and regional militant networks.
Analysts say the latest revelations suggest the relationship between Israel and the UAE has entered a far deeper intelligence and defense phase than previously acknowledged publicly.
REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS
The disclosures are likely to draw close attention across the Middle East, particularly in Tehran, where Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Gulf states of assisting Israeli and American military operations.
The reports may also intensify debate within the Arab world over the expanding security alignment between Israel and Gulf governments amid continuing regional instability.
For now, however, the emerging picture points to unprecedented behind-the-scenes coordination between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi during one of the region’s most volatile military confrontations in years.
Comments