US confirms Israel sent Iron Dome batteries to UAE

“US confirms Israel sent Iron Dome batteries to UAE Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 05/12/2026 - 18:58 US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee trumpets Israeli-Emirati coordination in war against Iran This picture taken from Israel's southern frontier with the Gaza Strip shows Israeli soldiers standing near a battery of the Iron Dome air defence system, on 17 April 2024 (Jack Guez/AFP) Off Israel sent Iron Dome air defence batteries along with soldiers to operate them ‌to the UAE amid the war on Iran , US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed on Tuesday. "Israel just sent them - [the UAE] - Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help them operate them. How come? Because there’s an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords," Huckabee said at an event in Tel Aviv, referring to the 2020 agreement under which the UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel. Huckabee’s comments mark the first on-the-record confirmation of the assistance Israel has provided to the UAE amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Axios reported last month that Israel sent an Iron Dome air defence system to the Gulf state, along with personnel to operate it. The Financial Times later reported that Israel also sent its Iron Beam laser defence system to the UAE to defend against Iranian drones and missiles. After the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran in February, Tehran responded by firing rockets and drones at Israeli and US targets across the region. The UAE was among the most heavily targeted, with authorities saying that Iran launched around 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones at the country. While most of the missiles and drones were intercepted, the attacks have dented the Gulf states' status as a luxury tourism and financial haven. But Iran also caused material damage. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Tuesday that the UAE’s main natural gas plant would only return to full capacity next year after being targeted twice by Iran. The Habshan processing facility is only operating at about 60 percent capacity, with plans to return to full capacity in 2027. The Gulf states opposed the US war on Iran, but when the fighting started, they generally stood by the US, which is their main security partner. While Saudi Arabia has helped the US wage war on Iran by providing enhanced access, basing, and overflights, it has also backed mediation efforts by its close partner, Pakistan. 'Punish Iran': Saudi Arabia and UAE inch closer to supporting US-Israeli war Read More » In contrast, the UAE has staked out an even more hawkish position. Abu Dhabi lobbied publicly and privately for the US to continue attacking Iran and tried to prevent Pakistan from bringing the US and Iran together for talks. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the UAE launched strikes on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Gulf in early April, around the time the US was announcing a ceasefire. The UAE has not publicly acknowledged the operation. The strike reportedly triggered a large fire and disabled much of the facility’s capacity for months, marking a significant escalation at a time when US President Donald Trump was promoting the ceasefire after a five-week air campaign. Iran described the incident as an “enemy attack” and responded with a barrage of missile and drone strikes against the UAE and Kuwait. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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