Surprise visit by Israeli PM Bennett to UAE

Abu Dhabi: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made a surprise visit to the United Arab Emirates, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday.
The latest visit by the Israeli PM comes as efforts to salvage Iran nuclear deal remains stalled amid a deepening standoff with Tehran.
Bennett’s visit on Thursday was his second visit to Abu Dhabi since Israel and the UAE formally normalised diplomatic ties in 2020 after years of quiet cooperation.
Bennett’s office informed that the Israeli leader will be meeting UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It further said that the two leaders will likely discuss “various regional issues,” with the Iran stalemeta likely to top the agenda.
Bennett commended the countries at an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Wednesday who voted to censure Iran over its lack of transparency about its nuclear activities, after the IAEA said that Iran plans to ramp up its uranium enrichment.
Underpinning UAE-Israel ties is a shared concern over Iran’s nuclear reach in the region. Israel says it is determined to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
Israel strongly opposed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying it wants an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and addresses Iran’s long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israel’s borders. (UNI)