Netanyahu Made Secret Trip to UAE to Meet Mohammed bin Zayed

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with President Mohammed bin Zayed, sources told CBS News.

Netanyahu's office later acknowledged the trip. In a statement, it said the visit "resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates."

Spokespeople for the UAE did not immediately comment.

The news comes after a Wall Street Journal report that the UAE carried out military strikes on Iran last month. The UAE has not publicly acknowledged that action.

Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense batteries and personnel to the UAE, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday. Sources confirmed the UAE received the defense systems.

A U.S. official said Netanyahu traveled to the UAE in 2018 to meet with MBZ, as Mohammed bin Zayed is often called.

The UAE was the first country to sign the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab nations.