Newsletters
Former director of Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, was reportedly rushed out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after a security alert warned of a possible Iranian threat against him, Israeli outlets reported. However, a source close to the UAE has firmly denied key elements of the account.
According to a report on Israel's Channel 13, Bar, the former director of Israel's internal security agency Shin Bet (Shabak), was in the UAE together with his wife, Dafna Bar-Agassi, to attend a private security conference.
The conference brought together senior officials from security, intelligence and decision-making bodies from around the world.
The report alleged that while Bar was in the UAE, a security warning was received regarding a possible Iranian threat against him.
Following the warning, Bar and his wife were rushed out of the country and flown back to Israel.
The details of the rapid evacuation were kept confidential, and the report did not specify when the incident took place.
Sources told Channel 13 on Monday morning that the evacuation occurred following a warning about an Iranian threat to harm Bar. According to the report, Israel's security establishment received an alert about a possible attempt to harm Bar, directed by Iran. The information prompted the decision to evacuate him and his wife immediately from the UAE and return them to Israel.
The report stated that the former Shin Bet chief and his wife recently attended a special security conference in the UAE. Hosted by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the event brought together senior security and intelligence officials from around the world.
A source close to the UAE strongly denied claims that the country's foreign minister had hosted any conference involving the former Shin Bet chief, stating that no such event had taken place, neither recently nor in recent years.
The source also dismissed claims of an incident involving the evacuation of the former Shin Bet chief from the UAE, labeling such reports as "completely baseless."
The source emphasized that the UAE maintains a clear and consistent policy of non-involvement in Israel's internal politics and would not allow itself to be drawn into political disputes or internal political dynamics within Israel.
Bar has not issued any statement on the matter yet.
His tenure as director of Shin Bet, from which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu controversially removed him, ended on June 15, 2025.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
5 min read
