The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry denied reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the war with Iran and met President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, calling the claims “entirely unfounded.”
In a statement, Emirati officials said relations with Israel are conducted publicly through diplomacy and not through covert channels or undisclosed arrangements.
“The UAE’s relations with Israel are open relations, created under the framework of the Abraham Accords, and are not based on secrecy or hidden arrangements. Therefore, any claim about undeclared visits or arrangements has no basis unless published by the authorized official authorities in the United Arab Emirates,” the foreign ministry said.
Netanyahu’s office had reportedly claimed the Israeli leader made a “historic breakthrough” secret wartime visit. Israeli officials maintained that the meeting took place in Al Ain on March 26. Questions surrounding the alleged visit surfaced after US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel provided Iron Dome support to the UAE during the conflict with Iran.
Regional tensions remained high following Iranian retaliatory strikes on the UAE and reports that Israel assisted Gulf states with defensive systems, including Iron Dome deployments.
Israel and the UAE established formal diplomatic relations in 2020 through the US-brokered Abraham Accords, transforming years of quiet security contacts into open diplomatic and strategic cooperation.
Despite tensions tied to the Gaza war and the broader regional conflict with Iran, relations between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi have continued in areas including trade, defense technology, and shared security concerns involving Tehran.
Neither government released evidence of the reported meeting, and no additional diplomatic initiatives were announced following the UAE statement.