Netanyahu held secret meeting with Emirati president in UAE during Iran war, PM's office says

JERUSALEM, May 13 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates and met the Emirati president during the war ​with Iran, the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday, marking their first confirmed meeting.

According to the statement, the meeting resulted in a "historic breakthrough" in relations between Israel and the UAE.

A source familiar with the meeting said Netanyahu and ​Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) met in Al-Ain, an oasis city by the ​Oman border, on March 26 and that their meeting lasted several ⁠hours.

The source said that Mossad Chief Dedi Barnea made at least two visits ​to the UAE during the war with Iran to coordinate military actions. The Wall Street Journal first reported the intelligence chief's visit.

Especially after coming under attack during the Iran war, the UAE has strengthened its relationships with the United States and Israel, with ​which it opened ties in the 2020 Abraham Accords. It views the ​relationship with Israel as a lever for regional influence and a unique channel to Washington.

Israel sent ‌batteries ⁠for its Iron Dome interception system and personnel to operate them to the UAE during the war, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday.

The UAE is a regional business and financial hub and one of Washington's most important ​allies. It has ​pursued an assertive ⁠foreign policy and carved its own sphere of influence across the Middle East and Africa.

Iran's strikes on Gulf states in ​response to the U.S.-Israeli attacks targeted the UAE more than ​its neighbours, ⁠hitting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities.

Unlike several Gulf peers, the UAE has a pipeline that allows it to divert some oil exports around the blockaded Strait of ⁠Hormuz, making ​it more able to withstand prolonged disruption. But ​the war risks severely damaging its role as a global economic center that offers security and ​ease in the region.