Israel secretly deployed an Iron Dome air defense system and dozens of soldiers to the United Arab Emirates during the war with Iran, an Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN on Sunday. The move marks a new level of unprecedented military cooperation between the two countries, who signed a normalization agreement under the Abraham Accords in 2020.
The Israeli source confirmed a report by Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces to send an Iron Dome battery to the UAE, along with interceptor crews, following a call with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
The UAE was targeted by Iran more than any other country in the region – even more than Israel – as it was attacked with more than 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones, according to the Emirati Ministry of Defense. The UAE claimed an interception rate of more than 90%, while a fraction did strike military and civilian targets.
Iron Dome is an Israeli-developed mobile, short‑range air‑defense system that intercepts rockets, mortars, artillery shells and drones. Israel has previously concluded several arms deals to sell the system abroad, but this appears to be the first time it has been deployed to another country and used operationally. The system intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles during the war, Axios reported citing an Israeli official.
For context: Cooperation between Israel and the UAE has steadily deepened since the Abraham Accords were signed under the first Trump administration in 2020. The two countries have developed a close military and intelligence partnership, which has been on display during the Iran war, the Israeli source told CNN.