Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates and met with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the Iran war, according to a statement released Wednesday by Netanyahu’s office.

The statement described the meeting as leading to a “historic improvement” in relations between Israel and the UAE, marking what appears to be the first official confirmation of a direct meeting between the two leaders.

A source familiar with the talks said Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met in the city of Al Ain, near the Oman border, on March 26, where discussions lasted several hours.

The UAE is among the few Arab countries maintaining diplomatic ties with Israel after joining the Abraham Accords in 2020, a major foreign policy achievement associated with U.S. President Donald Trump and Netanyahu.