Mossad and Shin Bet Chiefs Visited UAE During Operation Roaring Lion
Mossad chief David Barnea visited the UAE at least twice during Operation Roaring Lion to coordinate regarding the war, the Wall Street Journal reported. Shin Bet chief David Zini also visited the UAE. The report follows a Wall Street Journal article stating the UAE was behind some recent strikes against Iranian assets.
jpost.comThe same report indicated that Shin Bet chief David Zini also traveled to the UAE as part of those coordination efforts. The visits occurred while Israeli forces conducted Operation Roaring Lion, though the precise dates of the trips were not specified.
The disclosure comes days after the Wall Street Journal published an article asserting that the UAE played a role in recent strikes against Iranian assets. Those strikes included an attack on a refinery at Lavan Island at the beginning of April.
Israeli officials have not publicly confirmed the visits or the nature of any discussions held in the UAE. The Wall Street Journal report did not detail what specific matters were coordinated during the trips by the Mossad and Shin Bet chiefs. Photographs from a separate event on April 20, 2026, showed Barnea and Zini attending a Memorial Day ceremony together at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City.
The sequence of reporting first addressed alleged UAE involvement in strikes on Iranian targets before addressing the visits by the two Israeli security chiefs. No casualties or operational details from the Lavan Island attack were included in the accounts.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
4 events- April 20, 2026
Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief David Zini attended a Memorial Day ceremony in Jerusalem.
1 source@Jerusalem_Post - Early April 2026
An attack occurred on the refinery at Lavan Island.
1 source@Jerusalem_Post - May 2026
Wall Street Journal reported UAE role in strikes against Iranian assets.
1 source@Jerusalem_Post - May 2026
Wall Street Journal reported visits by Mossad and Shin Bet chiefs to the UAE during Operation Roaring Lion.
1 source@Jerusalem_Post
Potential Impact
- 01
The reports may affect diplomatic relations between Israel, the UAE, and Iran.
- 02
Further media reporting on UAE involvement in strikes may increase tensions in the Gulf region.
- 03
Public confirmation or denial of the visits could alter public statements on regional security cooperation.
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