JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates during Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion against Iran, meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and securing a historic breakthrough in bilateral relations, the Prime Minister’s Office said Wednesday.

The covert trip occurred while Israeli airspace was completely closed, with no leaks or detection reported, according to Channel 12 reporter Amit Segal. Sources indicated the visit facilitated a deal for the shipment of an Iron Dome air defense system to the UAE.

“This visit led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” the PMO statement said.

The UAE president has publicly hosted previous Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, but contacts with Netanyahu had remained behind closed doors until now. Israel deployed an Iron Dome battery along with IDF troops to help defend the UAE from Iranian missile and drone attacks during the conflict, marking the first operational use of the system outside Israel and the U.S., multiple reports confirmed.

Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s joint campaign with the United States against Iranian nuclear and missile threats, began in late February 2026. The secret diplomacy underscores deepening security ties between Israel and the Gulf state under the Abraham Accords framework, even as public normalization efforts have faced regional challenges.

No further details on the timing of the visit within the operation or additional outcomes were immediately released by the PMO.