Netanyahu reveals he secretly visited the UAE during war with Iran

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement, May 3, 2026. (Screenshot/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement, May 3, 2026. (Screenshot/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates secretly during the US-Israeli war with Iran, his office says.

Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

“This visit led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” says the PMO.

Earlier this week, senior US officials confirmed that Israel sent an Iron Dome battery and soldiers to operate it to the UAE during the war with Iran.

In addition, Mossad chief David Barnea visited the UAE at least twice during the war with Iran to coordinate on the conflict, Arab officials and a source familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

The two countries also reportedly coordinated an attack on a major Iranian petrochemical site.

Israel and the UAE normalized ties in 2020. In 2018, Netanyahu reportedly flew to the UAE for a secret meeting with bin Zayed.

Nava Freiberg contributed to this report. 

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