Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Wednesday claimed that a secret wartime meeting had taken place with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the US-Israel-Iran war, only for Abu Dhabi to swiftly deny that any such visit or undisclosed arrangement had occurred.
In a statement posted on X, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader met Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, commonly known as MBZ, in the Emirati city of Al Ain on March 26 at the height of the war in West Asia.
According to the Israeli statement, the talks lasted several hours and represented a “historic breakthrough” in ties between Israel and the UAE amid escalating tensions across the Gulf region. The statement said the discussions focused on regional security cooperation and strategic coordination during the war.
"In the midst of Operation Roaring Lion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. This visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE," Netanyahu's office said.
The claim immediately drew a rebuttal from the UAE foreign ministry, which issued an official statement rejecting reports that Netanyahu had visited the country or that any Israeli military delegation had been received in the UAE.
“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 ministry said.
The UAE further stressed that its relationship with Israel is conducted openly within the framework of the Abraham Accords signed in 2020, which normalised the ties, and not through covert arrangements.
“Any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE,” the statement said.
The sharply conflicting accounts emerged amid reports of growing security coordination between Israel and the UAE during the confrontation with Iran, which saw missile and drone attacks across the region.
According to news agency Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, Mossad chief Dedi Barnea travelled to the UAE at least twice during the conflict to coordinate military-related matters between the two countries. The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported on Barnea’s visits.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said this week that Israel deployed an Iron Dome battery along with military personnel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the war with Iran following a request from the Emirates. It marked the first overseas deployment of Israel’s flagship air defence system. The deployment took place in the early phase of the conflict after a call between UAE President and Netanyahu.
Iran had launched retaliatory strikes against several Gulf states, including the UAE, following US-Israeli military action. Reports indicated that some attacks targeted civilian infrastructure and energy facilities in the region.
While the UAE and Israel have expanded economic and security cooperation over recent years since the Abraham Accords normalised relations in 2020, Abu Dhabi has also sought to publicly distance itself from aspects of Israel’s military operations in the region, particularly amid heightened regional tensions and domestic sensitivities over the Gaza war and the broader Iran confrontation.
