Dispute deepens diplomatic strain as ceasefire faces mounting pressure

The United Arab Emirates has flatly rejected an Israeli claim of a "secret visit" by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the war with Iran, labeling it as "baseless".

This development adds complexity to the already strained diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing the collapse of the tenuous ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

In a statement released on Wednesday night via state news agency WAM, the UAE said 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 nontransparent or unofficial arrangements".

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The statement also denied receiving any Israeli military delegation.

The reaction came hours after Netanyahu's office announced the visit on social media and branded the meeting a "historic breakthrough".

The Times of Israel, citing an informed source, said on Thursday that the visit took place in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border on March 26 and lasted several hours.

The UAE and Israel normalized relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords signed in September 2020.

Palestinian leaders have long condemned the deal as a "stab in the back". Iran has also criticized the agreement and for years alleged that Israel has maintained a military and intelligence presence in the UAE.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media that Israel "publicly revealed" what was already known by the Iranian security services, warning that "collusion" with Israel is "unforgivable".

The UAE and other Arab countries were targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks after the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran in late February. A fragile ceasefire involving Iran, the US and Israel has been in place since April 8.

According to WAM's reports earlier this month, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received calls from several regional leaders after Iranian attacks on the country on May 5, including from Netanyahu.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also revealed this week that Israel had sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons, along with personnel to operate them, to the UAE.

Political solutions

However, Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE's president, said on Wednesday that the Gulf nation remained committed to political solutions and diplomacy amid regional tensions, while stressing the country's right to defend its sovereignty.

Relations between Arab states and Iran should not be defined by confrontation, he added.

Meanwhile, US Vice-President JD Vance said on Wednesday that he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran to end hostilities, after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran's latest proposal as unacceptable.

"The red line is very simple," Vance said. "He (the president) needs to feel confident that we have put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon."

Nevertheless, an Iranian Army spokesman said the armed forces are maintaining "the highest level of readiness", warning that "there is no room for retreat" as tensions with the US persist.

Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said the country's "right to the Strait of Hormuz is established, and the matter is closed".

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Iran's ISNA news agency quoted him as saying that Iran's plans "were tailored to the sanctions and pressures of our enemies, but now we must plan for the security and well-being of our country and the region".

Even amid simmering tensions, Iran held a send-off ceremony on Wednesday for the national soccer team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, cohosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

At a square in central Tehran, people waved flags, chanted slogans and some held placards honoring the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the war.

Contact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn