Netanyahu Held Unannounced UAE Talks Focused on Iran and Bilateral Ties

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday during an unannounced visit that both governments confirmed the following day.

The UAE said the leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them, while Netanyahu’s office said they also addressed regional challenges. An Israeli source told CNN that Netanyahu presented intelligence indicating Iran had resumed progress on its nuclear program, including construction at the Pickaxe mountain site south of Tehran. The source said Netanyahu warned that Israel believes Iran could launch a regional attack within weeks.

CNN reported that the talks also covered Yemen’s Houthi movement, the Bab al-Mandeb waterway and the Strait of Hormuz. Two sources told the network that a senior Saudi security official attended, but Saudi officials denied that claim.

The visit came amid renewed controversy over reports that Netanyahu received warnings before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu sought a UAE denial that Sheikh Mohamed had warned him of an imminent Hamas operation. Netanyahu’s office denied both that the warning occurred and that the visit was intended to secure a denial. Netanyahu has also rejected reports of Egyptian warnings, including a Wall Street Journal account that at least three were conveyed to Israel.

Netanyahu’s office said Shin Bet filed a complaint alleging Channel 12 violated censorship rules by disclosing the trip while his plane remained outside Israeli airspace, endangering the delegation.