The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates issued an official statement calling claims from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office regarding a trip to the country during the war with Iran “completely baseless” and denied that any such visit took place.
Earlier, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office had claimed that Netanyahu traveled to the UAE during the conflict with Iran to meet with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi. The office described the meeting as a “historic breakthrough” in bilateral relations.
However, in a statement released on Wednesday, May 14, the UAE Foreign Ministry emphasized that relations between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv are “public and transparent” and are built upon official agreements rather than secret or informal arrangements. The ministry further warned that any claims regarding unannounced visits or clandestine deals are only valid if officially announced.
In contrast, an informed source told Reuters that Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed met on March 26 in the city of Al Ain, and that the discussions lasted several hours. According to the source, Mossad Director David Barnea also traveled to the UAE at least twice during the war to discuss security and military coordination.
