Iran has sharply escalated its rhetoric toward the United Arab Emirates following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s undisclosed visit to Abu Dhabi, warning that closer Israeli involvement in the Gulf could have serious consequences for regional security.
The warning came after Netanyahu made a secret trip to the UAE over the weekend and met with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The visit was not publicly announced in advance and became known through Israeli media reports before the Israeli government formally confirmed that the meeting had taken place.
Iranian officials have reacted strongly to the development, portraying the visit as another sign of Israel’s expanding strategic presence in the Gulf at a time when tensions between Tehran, Washington and Israel remain high.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a former senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issued one of the strongest warnings. In a post on X, Rezaei directly linked the UAE’s hosting of US military forces with its decision to receive Netanyahu.
He argued that hosting American military bases had not provided the UAE with security and warned that hosting what he called the “Butcher of Gaza” would similarly fail to produce favourable consequences.
Rezaei also called on the UAE to learn from the recent regional war, stop actions that could contribute to further conflict and refrain from what he described as baseless claims concerning disputed Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf.
His comments came as relations between Tehran and Abu Dhabi face renewed pressure over several separate issues, including the UAE’s relationship with Israel, the presence of Western military forces in the Gulf and the long-running dispute over Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb.
Netanyahu’s undisclosed Abu Dhabi trip
Netanyahu’s visit to Abu Dhabi was first reported by Israel’s Channel 12. According to reports, the Israeli prime minister travelled privately to the UAE and met Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.
The UAE later confirmed that the meeting had taken place. Emirati state media described the discussions as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and address regional developments.
The precise details of the meeting remain disputed.
Several reports said the talks focused partly on controversy surrounding intelligence warnings ahead of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli media had reported that Sheikh Mohamed may have warned Netanyahu before the attack about the possibility of a major assault by Hamas.
Netanyahu’s office has disputed those reports. According to people briefed on the Abu Dhabi meeting, Netanyahu sought clarification or a public denial from the Emirati president regarding the allegations.
The issue has become politically sensitive in Israel because of continuing questions over intelligence warnings and the government’s handling of information before the October 7 attack.
The Abu Dhabi meeting therefore came against a background of two overlapping issues: Israel’s continuing security concerns regarding Iran and the renewed controversy over what regional leaders knew before the Hamas attack.
Security concerns over the disclosure
The secrecy surrounding Netanyahu’s visit also triggered a security dispute inside Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office later confirmed that Netanyahu had met Sheikh Mohamed and said the publication of details about the visit while the Israeli delegation was still travelling created a potential security risk.
Israel’s Shin Bet security service reportedly complained about the disclosure and sought legal action over the publication of information about the trip.
The Israeli government said that revealing the visit before Netanyahu and his delegation had completed their return journey could have exposed the prime minister, the operation and personnel involved to additional risks.
The episode highlights the unusual sensitivity surrounding high-level Israeli travel in the Middle East, particularly at a time when Israel and Iran remain involved in a prolonged regional confrontation.
The disclosure also demonstrated the growing importance of Gulf diplomacy in the wider confrontation between Iran and Israel.
Tehran views Israeli regional activity as a security threat
Iran’s reaction to the Abu Dhabi meeting was broader than criticism of a single diplomatic visit.
For Tehran, the expansion of Israel’s political and security relationships with Gulf states represents a significant strategic concern. Iran has repeatedly warned neighbouring countries against allowing their territory to be used for actions that Tehran considers hostile.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Netanyahu’s presence in the region and warned of what it described as extremely dangerous consequences from an expanded Israeli presence in the Middle East.
The ministry called on regional countries to consider the wider implications of such arrangements for collective security.
Iran’s criticism comes after years of changing relations between Israel and several Arab states.
The UAE established formal diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords. Since then, economic, diplomatic and security contacts between the two countries have expanded considerably.
From Israel’s perspective, relations with Gulf countries provide an important diplomatic and strategic channel in a region where Iran remains one of its principal security concerns.
From Tehran’s perspective, however, closer Israeli ties with neighbouring Gulf states could create new security vulnerabilities close to Iranian territory.
That difference in strategic perception lies at the centre of the latest confrontation.
The wider dispute over Gulf islands
Rezaei’s warning also referred to the longstanding dispute between Iran and the UAE over three Gulf islands.
Iran controls Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, while the UAE claims sovereignty over the islands.
The territorial dispute has remained unresolved for decades and has periodically become a source of tension between Tehran and Abu Dhabi.
Iran rejects the UAE’s claims and regards the islands as part of its territory. The UAE has repeatedly called for negotiations and has raised the issue internationally.
By including the island dispute in his warning to Abu Dhabi, Rezaei connected Netanyahu’s visit with a much broader disagreement between the two Gulf states.
The Iranian position is that the UAE should avoid policies that could increase tensions with Tehran, while Abu Dhabi has continued to pursue its own diplomatic and security relationships with Israel and Western powers.
Iran’s message to Washington and the Gulf
The latest Iranian warning also needs to be viewed in the context of the continuing confrontation between Iran and the United States.
Tehran and Washington have spent months alternating between military threats and diplomatic efforts. Iranian officials have repeatedly said that they are prepared to negotiate while rejecting demands that they consider a surrender of Iranian interests.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran did not start the war and would defend itself if attacked. At the same time, he has stressed that disputes should be addressed through dialogue.
During his recent appearance at the United Nations, Pezeshkian maintained that Iran remained open to diplomacy while strongly rejecting US pressure.
Iran has also presented proposals involving the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions and frozen Iranian assets as part of efforts to establish a framework for ending hostilities.
The United States and Iran, however, remain far apart on the conditions for a lasting agreement.
That diplomatic uncertainty has increased the importance of Gulf countries such as the UAE, which maintain relationships with both Washington and regional powers.
Abu Dhabi has traditionally attempted to maintain channels with competing powers while protecting its own economic and security interests. The latest Iranian statements indicate that Tehran is increasingly concerned that the UAE’s relationship with Israel could affect that balance.
Israel says Iran remains a major concern
For Israel, the situation looks different.
Israeli officials continue to view Iran’s military capabilities and nuclear programme as major security concerns. Reports about Netanyahu’s Abu Dhabi discussions have suggested that Iran was an important subject of the meeting.
Some reports said Netanyahu presented Emirati officials with Israeli intelligence assessments concerning possible future Iranian actions and developments related to Iran’s nuclear programme.
Such reports have not been independently established in every detail, and neither Israel nor the UAE has publicly disclosed the full contents of the private meeting.
The uncertainty surrounding the talks has contributed to competing interpretations of Netanyahu’s visit.
For Israel, closer coordination with the UAE can provide an additional diplomatic channel in the Gulf.
For Iran, the same relationship may be viewed as part of a broader effort to build a regional security structure that places Israel closer to Iranian territory.
A region under pressure
The latest dispute comes at a time when the wider Middle East remains highly unstable.
The conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has affected regional security, air travel, shipping and energy markets.
The Strait of Hormuz remains particularly sensitive because of its importance to global energy supplies. Any serious disruption there could have consequences well beyond the Gulf.
Reuters has reported that regional tensions and concerns over shipping through the Strait have already affected Gulf financial markets and maritime traffic.
At the same time, diplomatic efforts have continued despite the military confrontation.
Iran has sought negotiations through intermediaries, while the United States has continued to maintain pressure on Tehran.
The possibility of further escalation remains a central concern for neighbouring Gulf countries, many of which host American military assets and maintain economic or diplomatic relationships with Israel.
This places countries such as the UAE in a difficult strategic position.
They must balance their relationships with Washington and Israel against their geographic proximity to Iran and the potential consequences of a wider regional confrontation.
Rezaei’s warning raises the stakes
Rezaei’s statement does not amount to an announcement of Iranian military action against the UAE. It is, however, a significant escalation in the public language coming from a senior Iranian security official.
His warning sends a message that Tehran is closely watching the development of Israeli-Gulf relations and does not want neighbouring states to become platforms for actions that Iran considers hostile.
The wording also reflects Iran’s broader argument that military alliances and foreign bases have not necessarily guaranteed regional security.
At the same time, the UAE has not indicated that it intends to abandon its relationship with Israel or its security partnership with the United States.
The Emirati government has instead continued to present its foreign policy in terms of diplomacy, economic cooperation and regional stability.
That divergence leaves considerable room for further diplomatic friction.
The road ahead
The immediate consequences of Netanyahu’s Abu Dhabi visit remain uncertain.
The meeting itself was relatively brief according to people familiar with the discussions, but its political significance extends beyond the meeting room.
It occurred at a moment when Iran is attempting to maintain diplomatic channels while preparing for possible renewed confrontation with the United States and Israel.
It also came as Israel continues to strengthen relationships with countries that share concerns about Iran’s regional influence.
For the UAE, the challenge will be to maintain its strategic relationships without becoming directly drawn into a broader confrontation between Israel, Iran and the United States.
For Iran, the priority is to prevent neighbouring states from becoming staging grounds for military or intelligence operations against its territory.
For Israel, meanwhile, maintaining and expanding regional partnerships remains an important part of its wider strategy toward Iran.
These competing interests make the Gulf one of the most sensitive arenas in the current Middle Eastern crisis.
The warning from Tehran therefore represents more than a reaction to a single secret diplomatic trip. It reflects a deeper strategic dispute over who should shape the region’s security arrangements and how far Israel’s presence can expand into the Gulf.
Whether the current rhetoric remains diplomatic or develops into another round of confrontation will depend heavily on the next moves by Tehran, Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem and Washington.
For now, the message from Iran is clear: Tehran is watching the UAE-Israel relationship closely and considers any expansion of Israel’s security or political role near Iran a matter of serious concern.
The UAE, for its part, has continued to pursue its own diplomatic course, while Israel and Iran remain locked in a wider strategic confrontation that has already reshaped the security environment across the Middle East.
