Mossad chief secretly visited UAE twice during Iran war – report

Mossad chief David Barnea secretly flew to the United Arab Emirates at least twice during the war with Iran to coordinate strategic operations, according  to a report.

By World Israel News Staff

Mossad chief David Barnea secretly visited the United Arab Emirates at least twice during the war with Iran to help coordinate operations, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Wednesday.

Barnea traveled to the UAE in March and April, the report said, citing Arab officials and a person familiar with the matter. The visits were described as part of a broader wartime coordination channel between Israel and the Gulf state during Operation Roaring Lion.

The reported visits add to signs of deepening Israeli-Emirati security cooperation during the conflict.

Additional reporting by Israel’s Kan News also revealed that Shin Bet chief David Zini recently traveled to the UAE, underscoring the growing security cooperation between the countries.

The Wall Street Journal also reported this week that the UAE secretly carried out military strikes on Iran, including an early April attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf. The UAE has not publicly acknowledged the strikes, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the report.

Israeli reports said the Wall Street Journal sought comment from the UAE Foreign Ministry and the Israeli prime minister’s office but did not receive a response.

The reports come a day after US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that Israel had sent Iron Dome air defense systems and personnel to the UAE to help defend it from Iranian attacks.

“Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to operate them,” Huckabee said at a Tel Aviv conference. “How come? Because there is an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords.”

Huckabee also praised Abu Dhabi as an example of the benefits of normalization with Israel. “I think that the UAE is an example — they were the first Abraham Accord member, but look at the benefits that they have had as a result,” he said.

The UAE was among the Arab states that normalized relations with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords. The latest reports suggest that cooperation between the two countries expanded during the Iran war from diplomatic and economic ties into direct security coordination.

Barnea has previously described the Iran campaign as part of a wider Israeli intelligence and operational effort. Speaking at a Mossad commendations ceremony last month, he said recent operations “allowed us to break boundaries in Lebanon and Iran.” He said Israel had acquired “strategic and tactical intelligence from the heart of the enemy’s secrets” and had carried out “a clandestine diplomatic campaign” that was critical to regional alliances.

“We will not rest on our laurels, and when we see a threat, we will act with full force,” Barnea said.