Netanyahu made secret visit to UAE to meet with country's president

Washington — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a concealed sojourn to the United Arab Emirates recently, wherever helium met with Mohammed bin Zayed, the country's president, sources told CBS News.

Netanyahu's bureau aboriginal acknowledged the trip, saying successful a connection that it "resulted successful a historical breakthrough successful relations betwixt Israel and the United Arab Emirates."

Spokespeople for the UAE did not instantly comment.

News of the sojourn comes aft a report by the Wall Street Journal that the UAE carried retired subject strikes connected Iran past month. The UAE has not acknowledged that enactment publicly.

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

According to a U.S. official, Netanyahu traveled to the UAE successful 2018 to conscionable with MBZ, arsenic helium is often called. 

The UAE was the archetypal state to motion connected to the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords successful 2020, which normalized diplomatic relations betwixt Israel and 4 Arab nations.