Two Israeli delegations to visit the UAE next week

DUBAI,— Israel and the United Arab Emirates are drawing closer together in the wake of the Middle East war, with a senior Israeli official telling AFP that military cooperation has deepened and new opportunities for trade and business ties are emerging.

Two Israeli delegations will visit the UAE next week, a Gulf-based official said. One team is from the Israeli transport ministry and will hold talks on a trade corridor connecting India, the Middle East and Europe.

The visits mark the first high-level contact since the conflict began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

Tehran responded by attacking UAE, and Gulf states that host American military bases.

Weeks of Iranian drone and missile bombardment prompted a sharp reaction from the UAE. The oil-rich Gulf state moved closer in position to Israel, which considers Iran its chief adversary.

“This presents an opportunity to enhance ties. We believe in this market. We believe people should come. There is a lot of opportunity for cooperation,” the Israeli official said late on June 1.

“The enhancement in cooperation will grow further, not only in military cooperation,” the official added.

The official, who asked not to be named when discussing the issue, gave no confirmation of U.S. reports indicating that Israel had dispatched Iron Dome defense systems along with its soldiers to the UAE.

“Unlike others who kept their distance, Israel stepped forward and stood with the UAE at a critical moment. In this region, that type of commitment does not go unnoticed,” the official said.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the UAE carried out dozens of airstrikes on Iran during the early days of the conflict and continued those strikes even after a ceasefire was announced in April.

The UAE coordinated its operations with the United States and Israel, using intelligence provided by both countries, according to the report.

Israel deployed Iron Dome batteries and Israel Defense Forces soldiers to the UAE, officials said in May.

Israel also sent a version of its Iron Beam laser air defense system to help protect the UAE from Iranian missile and drone attacks, the Financial Times reported.

Several senior Israeli officials visited the UAE during the war, including Mossad Director David Barnea, Shin Bet Director David Zini and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also made the trip, though the UAE Foreign Ministry initially denied it before Netanyahu’s office confirmed the visit.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed expressed frustration with Saudi Arabia and Qatar after both countries declined to join a coordinated military response to Iranian attacks, Bloomberg reported earlier this month.

(With files from AFP, Agencies)

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