Israel reportedly deployed an Iron Dome battery to the United Arab Emirates early in the war with Iran, and sent several dozen troops to operate it.
It marked the first time the system has been sent to another country outside of Israel and the US, Axios reported Sunday, citing Israeli and American officials.
During the US-Israel war on Iran, Tehran launched sustained attacks on the UAE, firing some 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones, according to the Emirati defense ministry, making it the most targeted country in the region, including Israel.
Iran, which had vowed to strike US bases in the region, targeted states across the Gulf with missile fire during the war. It also blocked the Strait of Hormuz, choking off a key pathway for the flow of oil and natural gas.
While most projectiles fired at the UAE were intercepted, some struck military and civilian targets, reportedly prompting Abu Dhabi to seek assistance from allies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the deployment following a call with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Israeli officials told Axios. The system was said to have intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles.
Israel and the UAE normalized relations with the 2020 Abraham Accords, a deal motivated in part by the shared threat of Iran.
Since the war began on February 28, Israeli and Emirati officials have said the two countries have been in close military and political coordination, with the Israeli Air Force also carrying out strikes in southern Iran during the war to neutralize short-range missiles threatening Gulf states.
Now, officials from both countries say the partnership between the two is unprecedentedly close, according to the report. It noted, however, that the decision to send a missile defense system abroad while Israel was under heavy fire could provoke backlash among Israelis.
Axios also said that allowing Israeli troops in the UAE could be “politically sensitive” there. But a senior Emirati official quoted in the report said the UAE was “not going to forget” the assistance provided by Israel during the fighting.
Another Emirati official also praised the US, France, the UK, Italy and Australia for providing help during the war.
The UAE isn’t the only country to request Israel’s vaunted missile defense systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have asked Israel to share its Iron Dome technology, but Jerusalem rebuffed those requests.
US President Donald Trump has pushed the development of a “Golden Dome” missile defense system, inspired by Iron Dome. But while Iron Dome is land-based, Golden Dome aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming missiles. The shield could deploy hundreds of satellites for missile detection and tracking.
Reuters contributed to this report.
