Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew unannounced to Abu Dhabi on Sunday for talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a senior Israeli official who confirmed the visit to Reuters.

Channel 12, which first reported the trip, said Netanyahu left Ben Gurion Airport shortly after noon on a private jet, landed in Abu Dhabi at about 3:10 pm local time, spent roughly four hours in the country, and departed at about 7:10 pm. Much of the meeting was held one-on-one.

A CNN source familiar with the visit said Iran dominated the agenda, an area where the two countries have deepened cooperation, including during the current Iran war. Netanyahu's office declined to give details on the agenda, and the UAE Foreign Ministry had not commented at the time of reporting.

The visit comes about a month before Israel's election on 27 October, amid controversy over Haaretz and New York Times reports that MBZ warned Netanyahu days before the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack — a warning Netanyahu denies receiving. The Wall Street Journal also reported Egyptian warnings were conveyed to Israel before the attack.