UAE denies Netanyahu held secret meeting with Emirati president during Iran war

The UAE has denied Israel PM Netanyahu visited the country for a secret meeting with its president during the Iran war, contradicting a claim by Netanyahu's office of an historic diplomatic breakthrough.Summary:Netanyahu's office said he travelled to the UAE during the Iran war and held a secret meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, describing it as an historic breakthrough in bilateral relations, according to the Wall Street JournalThe UAE foreign ministry flatly denied the claim, stating that its relations with Israel are public and that any reports of unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfoundedA source familiar with the matter said the two leaders met in Al-Ain on March 26 for several hours, and that Mossad chief Dedi Barnea made at least two visits to the UAE during the war to coordinate military operationsIsrael deployed Iron Dome batteries and operators to the UAE during the conflict, according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike HuckabeeIran targeted the UAE more heavily than neighbouring Gulf states during the war, striking civilian infrastructure and energy facilitiesThe UAE has a pipeline capable of routing some oil exports around the Strait of Hormuz, offering partial resilience against prolonged disruption, though a protracted conflict risks damaging its standing as a regional business and financial centreThe United Arab Emirates has flatly denied claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office that he made a secret visit to the country and held talks with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed during the recent war with Iran.Netanyahu's office said the visit took place during the conflict and resulted in what it described as an historic breakthrough in relations between the two countries. But the UAE foreign ministry moved quickly to distance itself from the account, stating that its relations with Israel are conducted publicly and are not built on unofficial or non-transparent arrangements. It added that any reports of unannounced visits or undisclosed dealings should be considered unfounded unless confirmed by UAE authorities.A source familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that the two leaders did in fact meet in Al-Ain, an oasis city close to the Oman border, on March 26, with talks lasting several hours. The same source said Mossad director Dedi Barnea travelled to the UAE on at least two occasions during the war to coordinate military activities, a development first reported by the Journal.The discrepancy between the Israeli and Emirati accounts reflects the sensitivity of the relationship for Abu Dhabi, which has pursued deepening ties with Israel since the Abraham Accords of 2020 while carefully managing its public positioning in the Arab world. The UAE views its relationship with Israel as a lever for regional influence and a direct channel to Washington, but has little appetite for that coordination to become a source of domestic or regional friction.Military ties have clearly intensified. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed this week that Israel sent Iron Dome air defence batteries and operators to the UAE during the conflict, a significant deployment that underlines the depth of security cooperation between the two countries.Iran's conduct during the war added urgency to those ties. Gulf states were subjected to retaliatory strikes, with the UAE bearing a disproportionate share of the attacks, including hits on civilian infrastructure and energy installations. While the UAE benefits from a pipeline that allows oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, a prolonged or widening conflict risks eroding its carefully cultivated image as the region's most stable business and financial hub.---The denial adds a layer of diplomatic uncertainty to an already volatile regional picture, with UAE-Israel coordination now a live and contested issue. Confirmation of Iron Dome deployments to the UAE signals deeper military integration between the two countries, with implications for Gulf security architecture and energy infrastructure protection. Iran's targeting of UAE energy facilities during the war is a direct supply-side risk factor; any escalation that draws the UAE further into the conflict could threaten output from one of OPEC's key producers and disrupt flows through its Fujairah export terminal. The UAE's pipeline bypass of the Strait of Hormuz offers partial insulation, but sustained conflict risks undermining its status as a regional trade and financial hub, with broader consequences for oil market stability