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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi strongly condemned reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran, calling any covert cooperation with Israel "unforgivable."
Araghchi stated that Netanyahu had publicly revealed information that Iranian security services had long ago delivered to Tehran. In a post on X, he described hostility toward the Iranian people as "a foolish gamble" and warned that those "colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account."
On Thursday, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel announced that Benjamin Netanyahu had secretly traveled to the UAE and met President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the conflict with Iran. According to the statement, the visit resulted in a "historic breakthrough" in relations between the two countries.
UAE Foreign Ministry spokesperson Afra Al Hameli rejected the statement, saying any claims regarding undeclared visits or undisclosed arrangements were "completely baseless" unless officially announced by Emirati authorities.
She also stressed that relations between the UAE and Israel are conducted publicly under the framework of the Abraham Accords and are not based on "secret or informal arrangements."
The controversy followed earlier reports by Axios claiming that military, intelligence and security cooperation between Israel and the UAE intensified during the conflict. Officials cited by the outlet said Netanyahu authorized the deployment of an Iron Dome battery and dozens of Israeli soldiers to the UAE in the early days of the war.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also confirmed during a conference in Tel Aviv that Israel had sent Iron Dome systems and military personnel to assist the UAE during the conflict.
After the war erupted on Feb. 28 following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran retaliated with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases.
The UAE emerged as one of the primary targets, with the country’s Defense Ministry reporting that Emirati air defenses intercepted 2,265 drones, 29 cruise missiles and 551 ballistic missiles since the conflict began.
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