Iran war live: Tehran slams ‘collusion’ as Netanyahu ‘secretly’ visits UAE

• The UAE has flatly rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim of a “secret visit” during the war with Iran as “baseless”, saying its relationship with Israel “is not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements”.
• The denial came after Netanyahu’s office announced the visit and called the meeting a “historic breakthrough”.
• Netanyahu’s former spokesperson Ziv Agmon corroborated the visit, saying he accompanied the the prime minister to Abu Dhabi, where Netanyahu was received “with the honour of kings” and driven by the UAE president in his “personal car from the plane to the palace”.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the announcement that Netanyahu had merely “revealed what Iran’s security services long ago conveyed to our leadership”.
• Araghchi warned that “enmity” with Iran is a “foolish gamble” and that those “colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denounced the detentions of four Iranian citizens following an attack on a boat, accusing Kuwait of attempting to “sow discord” and calling for their instant release.

Speaking with Al Jazeera, Gulf International Forum’s executive director, Dania Thafer, noted that the incident underscores intensifying security anxieties among Gulf nations amid the broader regional war.

Thafer pointed out that Gulf states have dealt with persistent strikes from Iranian-aligned groups and highlighted Kuwait’s previous discovery of suspected Iranian sleeper cells in the country.

• After weeks of unsuccessful efforts to secure China’s help in reviving talks with Iran and opening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has touched down in Beijing for high-level discussions with President Xi.
• Iran’s foreign minister has warned that any nations “colluding” with Israel against Tehran will face consequences. Posting on X, Abbas Araghchi claimed that Netanyahu’s office – by alleging the Israeli leader’s a secret visit to the UAE during the US-Israel war on his country – has openly confirmed intelligence previously shared by Iranian security services with Tehran’s leadership.
• The UAE has denied that Netanyahu “secretly visited” Abu Dhabi amid the ongoing war.
• The Israeli military persisted with its offensive in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, conducting multiple strikes that killed 20 people and injured dozens.
• The Iranian mission to the UN has condemned a US-sponsored draft resolution that threatens sanctions on Tehran for its actions in the Strait of Hormuz, labelling the proposal “absurd and deceptive”.

Hello, and welcome to our coverage of the ceasefire in the US war on Iran, as well as Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon.

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You can find our updates from Tuesday, May 13, here.