The United Arab Emirates has denied "reports circulating" on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the Gulf country during the Iran war.
Netanyahu's office released a brief statement on Wednesday night, claiming that the Israeli premier "secretly" visited the Emirates "in the midst of Operation Roaring Lion ... 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," according to Netanyahu's office.
The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded with a statement saying that "allegations of undisclosed visits are 'entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE."
"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 statement said.
