Netanyahu's office confirms discreet UAE visit during Iran war, boasts 'historic breakthrough'

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL: As the Iran conflict continues to redraw power equations across the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now been confirmed to have made an undisclosed visit to the United Arab Emirates during the war, an unusual diplomatic move that remained out of public view until this week.

Confirmation came directly from Netanyahu’s office on Wednesday, May 13, which acknowledged that the Israeli leader recently traveled to the Gulf nation for high-level talks with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Benjamin Netanyahu visits the UAE 

In its statement, the prime minister’s office described the trip as one that “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”

The meeting, which reportedly took place in late March, was not publicly announced when it happened, adding to speculation that the discussions may have involved sensitive wartime coordination, intelligence-sharing, or regional security planning as tensions with Iran escalated.

The existence of the visit was first reported earlier by CBS News, before Israeli officials formally confirmed it.

The confirmation comes at a particularly sensitive moment in the region.

Just days before news of the visit surfaced, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that Israel had supplied Iron Dome missile defense systems to the UAE to strengthen its defenses amid fears of Iranian retaliation.

The Gulf nation has increasingly found itself exposed as the regional conflict widened, with concerns growing over threats to strategic infrastructure, energy installations, and commercial hubs.

Fresh scrutiny on UAE's wartime role

Against the conflict backdrop, Netanyahu’s private meeting with Mohammed bin Zayed is being viewed as more than a symbolic diplomatic gesture.

Reports say the talks likely focused on security cooperation, air defense coordination, and the broader role Gulf allies may play as the war evolves.

The visit also comes as the UAE faces growing questions about how deeply it may be involved in the regional conflict.

Separate reporting earlier this week suggested the UAE may have played a more direct security role in operations linked to Iran, though Emirati officials have not publicly addressed those claims.

If confirmed, it would mark a major shift for Abu Dhabi, from a regional diplomatic player to a more active strategic partner in the conflict.

Netanyahu’s relationship with Emirati leadership stretches back years, long before official diplomatic recognition.

The UAE became the first Gulf Arab nation to formally normalize relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, opening the door to deeper cooperation in trade, defense, and intelligence.