UAE angered by leak over reported Netanyahu wartime visit after public denial

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry publicly denied reports that Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the war with Iran.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

UAE officials were angered by leaks surrounding reports of a secret wartime meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with a source telling i24NEWS on Thursday that concerns over disclosures from the Prime Minister’s Office have long complicated high-level visits between the countries.

“The Emiratis were very angry. This is not the first time a sensitive leak has come out of the Prime Minister’s Office. That is precisely why Netanyahu has not visited the UAE for years,” the source said.

The comments came hours after the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry publicly denied reports that Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the war with Iran and met Mohamed bin Zayed, calling the claims “entirely unfounded.”

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said ties between the UAE and Israel are conducted openly under the Abraham Accords framework rather than through covert channels.

“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.

The denial followed reports that Netanyahu’s office had described the alleged visit as a “historic breakthrough” achieved during a secret wartime trip. Israeli officials reportedly maintained that the meeting took place in Al Ain on March 26.

Diplomatic engagement between Israel and the UAE has remained relatively low profile since the countries normalized relations under the Abraham Accords in 2020.

At the same time, security coordination has continued amid concerns over Iran and regional threats.

The UAE and Israel have coordinated on defense issues, including Iron Dome systems in the UAE and visits by senior Israeli security officials, including the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet.

Questions surrounding the alleged visit intensified after US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel provided Iron Dome support to the UAE during the conflict with Iran.

Regional tensions remained elevated following Iranian retaliatory strikes on the UAE and reports that Israel assisted Gulf states with defensive systems, including Iron Dome deployments.