Israeli Minister's Secret Trip to UAE Coincides with Implementation of JCPOA

Israeli media reported on Tuesday, January 29, that coinciding with the implementation of the JCPOA, Iran's final nuclear agreement with world powers, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates. According to Israeli media reports, Steinitz held discussions with senior Emirati officials during his covert visit to Abu Dhabi, but the details of these negotiations have remained hidden from the media. The second channel of Israeli television published this news as Mr. Steinitz returned from the UAE to Jerusalem on Monday, January 28. Steinitz, a member of the Likud party and a close associate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been responsible for the 'Iranian nuclear file' in the Israeli government over the past years and has made numerous trips to various countries aimed at 'expanding sanctions against Iran.' The Israeli government has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the implementation of the JCPOA, and Netanyahu has stated in various comments that Iran has not abandoned its 'ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons.' Netanyahu also mentioned that the Israeli government will monitor Iran's compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA to expose violations 'to the world.' In recent days, Israel has also warned international energy companies to choose between cooperating with Iran or Israel. The secret trip of the Israeli Energy Minister to the UAE coincided with a new era for Iran marked by the lifting of sanctions. Additionally, the recently revealed visit of the Israeli Energy Minister to the UAE comes amid recent regional developments related to Iran, while a UN-affiliated energy agency recently announced that Israel, like other member countries, has been allowed to open its office in this agency in Abu Dhabi. In the past, some emirates in the region, including Qatar, had limited relations with Israel, but these relations have been severed in the last decade. On the other hand, Israel has been more explicitly stating over the past two years that the views of many Arab countries in the region towards Iran align with Israel's positions. Israeli and international media occasionally report on some secret meetings and contacts between senior Israeli officials and high-ranking officials from Saudi Arabia and the emirates, reports that have never received official confirmation. However, the Energy Minister's trip to the UAE occurred at a time when Iran's relations with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and many countries in the region have been severely strained, and several of these countries have cut diplomatic ties with Tehran. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas in the USA, who traveled to Israel, stated in a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem this week that his state will continue sanctions against Iran. According to the Maariv newspaper on Tuesday, January 29, the Texas governor referred to the Iran nuclear deal as a 'conspiracy' and a plan 'lacking any logic,' telling Netanyahu, 'By enacting more state laws, we will not allow taxpayer money in Texas to support Iran, which is a sponsor of terrorism.'