Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the Iran War. According to Tagesspiegel, he met with Mohammed bin Zayed. The visit reportedly resulted in a “historic breakthrough in the relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” although further details were not disclosed.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, also confirmed the deployment of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system in the UAE during the conflict. Israel sent Iron Dome batteries and soldiers to assist in operating the defense systems.
According to the Israeli think tank INSS, the UAE has been significantly affected by Iranian missile and drone attacks during the Iran War. This could further enhance the strategic importance of the relationship between Israel and the Emirates.
There have been previous reports of Netanyahu’s secret visits to the UAE and official phone calls between the two heads of state. The normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab states was initiated in 2020 through the Abraham Accords under U.S. Donald Trump.
