Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed on May 14 that he made a 'secret' visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to hold talks with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. A statement on social media called it a 'historic breakthrough' in relations between Israel and the UAE but did not disclose the exact timing.
The UAE has not yet immediately confirmed the report. The news comes as cooperation between Israel and the Gulf nation appears to be expanding, particularly on security issues related to Iran.
Earlier, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Israel deployed its Iron Dome air defense system along with personnel to the UAE to help counter potential attacks from Iran. Speaking in Tel Aviv on May 13, Huckabee praised the UAE as a model for developing Israel's relations with Arab Gulf states.
According to the UAE's state news agency WAM, after Iran's attacks on the country on May 5, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed received phone calls from several regional leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, expressing solidarity and support for measures to protect UAE security.
The UAE and several other Arab countries have faced missile and drone attacks from Iran after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February. A fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US took effect on April 8.
Israel-UAE relations have steadily developed since the two countries signed the Abraham Accords in 2020, a US-brokered deal that normalized ties between Israel and multiple Arab states. The deal was condemned by Palestinian leaders as a 'stab in the back.'
Since then, Israel has launched a devastating war in Gaza, alongside near-daily raids in the West Bank and Lebanon. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been evading an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for war crimes in Gaza since November 2024.
