Secretary of State Tony Blinken apologized to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed last month for the U.S. response to January's Houthi attacks against the United Arab Emirates, two sources told Axios.

The Emirates were disappointed by the weak and slow U.S. response to the attacks, while the Biden administration was subsequently disappointed by the Emirates' response to the Ukraine crisis. Blinken's apology helped ease these tensions.

According to two sources, Blinken acknowledged during a meeting with the prince in Morocco that the Biden administration took too long to respond to the attacks and apologized.

A senior State Department official declined to speak about Blinken’s private conversation but didn’t deny this account.

“The Secretary made clear that we deeply value our partnership with the UAE and that we will continue to stand by our partners in the face of common threats," the senior State Department official said.

Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to Washington, told Axios last month that the Blinken-MBZ meeting helped “move the relationship between the UAE and the U.S. back on the right track."

The Emiratis were also disappointed that the Biden administration rejected their request to have the Houthis re-recognized as a terrorist organization.

The Emiratis' frustration led the UAE to abstain from voting in the UN Security Council to condemn Russia.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's visit to the UAE earlier this month blindsided the White House and further increased tensions with the U.S.