Netanyahu's secret UAE visit focused on Iran concerns, says source

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly paid a secret visit to the UAE to discuss regional concerns about Iran with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. The visit, reported by an Israeli source, has not been confirmed by either side.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for discussions with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, CNN reported, citing an Israeli source familiar with the matter. CNN reported that conversations between the two leaders centred primarily on regional concerns regarding Iran. However, the reported secret visit has neither been confirmed by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office nor the UAE leadership.

Past Reports and UAE's Denial

A similar visit was made earlier this year when the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that PM Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates in the midst of the Israeli military operations against Iran and met President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. "Prime Minister's Office Statement: In the midst of Operation Roaring Lion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. This visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE", the posts said.

However, shortly after the announcement by the Israeli PMO, the UAE denied reports regarding the visit of the Israeli PM or of any Israeli military delegation. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically denied the reports, saying, "The UAE reaffirms that its relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements. Accordingly, any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE."

Netanyahu's UNGA Address on Iran

The reported visit comes amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, responding to which the Israeli Prime Minister announced at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that Iran's government would eventually collapse, claiming that the country's leadership would be brought down by its "lies", "corruption" and "cruelty."

Netanyahu predicted that the Iranian people would one day rise against their government."Their murderous regime will be toppled by its lies, by its corruption, by its cruelty… This evil regime will fall," he added. "It's only a matter of time that in Iran, something incredible will happen… The power of the people will overcome the people in power,” he said.

Israeli PM spoke about Israel's military actions against Iran's nuclear facilities, describing the decision as necessary for the country's security. He also claimed that several countries had privately appreciated Israel's actions against Iran, despite public criticism from some leaders.

During his address, Netanyahu also questioned delegates who walked out of his speech and demonstrators who protested against him outside the venue, asking, "Where were you when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians?" He accused them of being "phony human rights protesters." This came as delegates from several countries walked out of the Assembly hall as Netanyahu began his address. However, the UAE delegation remained seated.

Iran's Stance on Regional Relations

On the other hand, Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier this month that Tehran has “no problem” with the United Arab Emirates or any other regional country but objected to the presence of US military bases in neighbouring states, accusing Washington of using them to launch attacks against Iran amid the West Asia conflict.

In an exclusive interview with India Today on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Pezeshkian sought to draw a distinction between Iran's ties with Gulf nations and its confrontation with the United States, saying Tehran considers the UAE and other countries in the region to be “brothers”.

“We have no problems with the UAE. We have no problem with any of the regional countries. We have a problem with the American bases located in these countries and from which they are attacking our country,” Pezeshkian said. “The UAE, the Emiratis and other countries of the region are our brothers. We have been living together for a long time and we have had trade. We have supported each other,” he said.

He maintained that Iran wanted to strengthen relations with the UAE and other neighbouring states. “Right now, we have a good relation with the UAE and we can expand it, and with other countries, the same happened. So we would like to have a sincere relation with all of them,” Pezeshkian said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)