Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office disclosed that he had secretly visited the United Arab Emirates during the conflict with Iran. The revelation, reported by The Hindu, came just one day after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed that Israel had sent Iron Dome air-defence systems to the UAE, along with Israeli personnel to operate them.
The clandestine trip underscores the deepening — and increasingly militarized — relationship between Israel and Gulf states, forged in large part by shared concerns over Iranian aggression. The timing of the disclosure, and the fact that it was kept secret during the war itself, raises questions about the full scope of covert military cooperation in the region.
