The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “secretly visited” the United Arab Emirates during the Iran war, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed—a claim UAE officials have denied.
According to Netanyahu’s office, the meeting took place during “Operation Roaring Lion,” the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran and “led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE.”
The UAE normalized relations with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords and has since expanded security and economic ties with Jerusalem.
Hours after the statement was published, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the report, stating that it did not receive Netanyahu or any Israeli military delegation in the country.
“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 ministry stated, calling on media outlets “to refrain from circulating unverified information or promoting misleading political narratives.”
Ziv Agmon, Netanyahu’s former chief of staff and spokesman, insisted that the prime minister’s account of the visit is true, writing on Facebook that he “accompanied the prime minister on the historic trip that has been top secret until today.”
“Sheikh bin Zayed, his family members and other dignitaries welcomed us and were happy to see the prime minister of Israel on their soil,” he stated.
The announcement of the alleged visit came a day after U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel had deployed Iron Dome air-defense systems and personnel to the UAE amid Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting the Gulf state.
Reports this week also said the UAE carried out covert strikes against Iranian targets, including an April attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island, though Abu Dhabi has not publicly confirmed the operations.
