The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied Israeli claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the UAE during the conflict with Iran.
On 13 May 2026 GMT+7, the UAE denied statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claiming that the Israeli leader made a secret visit to the UAE during the Iran war and met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.
"The United Arab Emirates denies all reports circulating about a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his accompanying Israeli military delegation on UAE soil," the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on the X platform.
"The UAE emphasizes that its relationship with Israel is very clear and established under a transparent framework according to the Abraham Accords, meaning this relationship is not conducted through any secret back channels," the ministry added.
The Abraham Accords, signed during Donald Trump's first term as U.S. president, normalized relations between the UAE and Bahrain with Israel. Expanding these accords to include other Arab states was a key foreign policy goal of the Trump administration.
The Emirati Foreign Ministry stressed, "Allegations of an unannounced visit or any such arrangements are unfounded unless officially announced through UAE channels."
Earlier the same day, Netanyahu's office stated that the Prime Minister made a secret visit to the UAE during the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and met with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, describing the visit as creating a "historic breakthrough" in bilateral relations.
However, the statement did not specify when the visit occurred or provide further details about the claimed progress.
Before the UAE denial, Ziv Akmon, former chief of staff to Netanyahu, posted on Facebook that he accompanied the Prime Minister on the visit and that Netanyahu received a "royal-level welcome in Abu Dhabi."
Following the announcement of the visit, Iran threatened to take action against those collaborating with Israel.
"Being an enemy of the great people of Iran is a foolish bet," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X. "And collaborating with Israel in that regard is unforgivable."
. . .cnn