News / Politics / Persian Gulf

Iran slams neighbors’ betrayal during US-Israeli aggression

Friday, 15 May 2026 9:38 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 15 May 2026 9:38 AM ]

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Iran has censured certain neighboring countries for their betrayal during the recent illegal US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

In an Arabic-language X post on Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, “He who betrays in secret will be exposed in public.”

The remarks came two days after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he "secretly visited" the United Arab Emirates and met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a gathering that resulted in a “historic breakthrough” in Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi relations.

An informed source told Reuters that the meeting, which lasted several hours, took place on March 26 in the city of Al Ain in the Emirate of Dubai, near the Omani border.

The UAE Foreign Ministry, however, denied Netanyahu’s trip to the Persian Gulf Arab country.

Israel's TV Channel 12 reported that Abu Dhabi fears escalation of tensions with Tehran if its behind-the-scene coordination with the Israeli regime becomes public.

Abetting Israel against Iran 'unforgivable,' FM warns after Netanyahu reveals wartime UAE visithttps://t.co/HaSwQWWc40
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 14, 2026

Emirati officials are concerned that the revelation of their intelligence and security collusion with Israel will reinforce the perception that Abu Dhabi is directly involved in the military assault against Iran, the report added.

Recently, senior US officials confirmed that the Israeli regime sent an Iron Dome battery and personnel to operate it in the UAE during the war on Iran.

Additionally, The Wall Street Journal said that David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, visited the Emirates at least twice during the war to coordinate related activities.

The American newspaper further reported that the Emirates conducted a series of "covert" attacks against Iran during the aggression.

The unprovoked US-Israeli aggression on Iran began on February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated senior Iranian officials and commanders.

The aggressors made extensive use of American military bases, personnel, and equipment stationed in the Persian Gulf coastal states, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, as well as Jordan, to carry out attacks against Iran.

According to a report by the WSJ, the UAE acted as an active combatant in the US–Israeli aggression against Iran, launching strikes on Iranian territory, including a refinery on Iran's Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, causing major damage and disruption.https://t.co/mLGcUTS2ei pic.twitter.com/yKvXUTFCfz
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 12, 2026

The Iranian armed forces unleashed 100 waves of successful retaliatory strikes against sensitive and strategic American and Israeli targets throughout the region.

On April 8, forty days into the war, an Islamabad-brokered temporary ceasefire went into effect. However, the first round of Tehran-Washington negotiations failed to reach an agreement.

The US unilaterally extended the truce after its expiry, but imposed an inhumane “naval blockade” of Iran.

Tehran has refrained from committing to a second round of talks, with authorities citing Washington’s excessive demands and piracy against Iranian ships as two main impediments to concluding the war.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir