Netanyahu says he 'secretly visited' the UAE during Iran war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he made a "secret visit" to the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran. The UAE rejected the claim, saying ties between the two countries are not based on "unofficial arrangements". The comments land as regional alignments are being redrawn.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he made a "secret visit" to the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran. According to the BBC, Mr Netanyahu made the comment at a closed party meeting and did not share specific details of the trip.
The UAE foreign ministry issued a written statement shortly afterwards, denying that the "alleged visit" had taken place and stressing that relations between the two countries are based on institutional channels rather than "unofficial arrangements". Abu Dhabi underlined that formal diplomatic ties under the Abraham Accords framework remain in place.
The remark lands at a moment when the war with Iran is rearranging regional alignments. Some analysts note that the claim could be linked to a search for support in Israeli domestic politics. The US State Department declined to comment directly, while saying that diplomatic contacts in the region remain intensive, including through back-channel arrangements that predate the conflict.
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