ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made what his office described as a “secret visit” to the Gulf country during the US-Israel war on Iran. A In a statement carried on Wednesday night by the state news agency WAM, UAE’s foreign ministry denied that the visit took place and also said there had been no visits by any Israeli military delegation to the country. “Any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE,” the ministry’s statement said. “The UAE affirms that its relations with Israel are public and established within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords. These relations are not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements,” it added. “Therefore, any claims regarding undisclosed visits or arrangements are baseless unless issued by the relevant official authorities in the UAE,” the report said. The ministry called on media outlets to exercise accuracy and professionalism, and to refrain from circulating unverified information or promoting misleading political narratives, WAM said. The reaction came hours after the Israeli PM’s office claimed in a social media statement on Wednesday that Netanyahu held a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a “secret visit” in the midst of the bombing campaign against Iran. The statement did not disclose the exact date of the alleged visit, which it hailed as a “historic breakthrough” in the ties between the two countries. The development came as cooperation between Israel and the Gulf state appears to be expanding, particularly on security issues linked to Iran. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said this week that Israel had deployed Iron Dome air defense batteries and personnel to the UAE to help counter potential Iranian attacks. Speaking at an event in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Huckabee praised the UAE as an example of growing relations between Israel and Gulf Arab states. According to a WAM report earlier this month, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed received calls from several regional leaders after Iranian attacks on the country on May 5, including from Netanyahu, who expressed solidarity with the UAE and support for measures taken to protect its security and stability. The UAE and other Arab countries came under Iranian missile and drone attacks after the US and Israel began bombing Iran in late February. A fragile ceasefire agreed by Iran and the US has been in place since April 8.
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