Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the height of the war with Iran to meet Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  

Netanyahu’s office said the trip marked what it described as a turning point in relations between the two countries.

“This visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters the two leaders met for several hours on March 26 in Al Ain, an oasis city near the Oman border. Details of their discussions were not disclosed.

The Emirati foreign ministry rejected the Israeli account, saying the claims of a secret visit were unfounded and inconsistent with official protocol.

UAE Denies Reports Regarding Visit by Israeli Prime Minister or Receiving Any Israeli Military Delegation pic.twitter.com/TRX9y5ZoVN

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“Any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE,” the ministry said. It also said Emirati relations with Israel “are public” and “not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”

The UAE normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, becoming the first Gulf country to do so, followed by Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Since then, cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem has expanded across trade, security and technology.

The news comes after it was reported that the UAE had conducted covert military strikes against Iran during the conflict, including an attack on a refinery on Lavan Island in early April.

On Tuesday, Israel also confirmed for the first time that it sent Iron Dome batteries and personnel to the UAE to assist it during the war.

“Israel just sent them – [the UAE] – Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help them operate them. How come? Because there’s an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday.

The Financial Times previously reported that Israel also sent its Iron Beam laser defense system to the UAE to help it counter Iranian drones and missiles.