Israel deployed Iron Dome to UAE during Iran war, report says

Israel reportedly sent an Iron Dome missile defence system and a team of military operators to the United Arab Emirates during the recent war with Iran, marking what is said to be the first overseas deployment of the technology beyond Israel and the United States.

According to a report by Axios, the move came after direct talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as Iran intensified missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

The deployment is understood to have taken place in the early stages of the conflict, when the UAE faced repeated strikes from Iran. Emirati officials said the country was targeted by hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles, alongside thousands of drones, making it one of the hardest-hit states in the region during the fighting.

Israeli officials cited in the report said Netanyahu authorised the transfer of an Iron Dome battery, interceptors and several dozen Israel Defence Forces personnel to help defend Emirati airspace.

A senior Israeli official reportedly described the operation as the first time an Iron Dome system had been used by another country outside Israel and the US. Another official said the system intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles.

The reported deployment highlights the growing security relationship between Israel and the UAE, which established formal diplomatic ties under the 2020 Abraham Accords.

Since the outbreak of the war, officials from both countries are said to have maintained close military and political coordination. Israeli air strikes in southern Iran reportedly targeted missile launch capabilities believed to threaten Gulf states, including the UAE.

Tareq al-Otaiba, a former official at the UAE’s national security council, wrote in an article for the Arab Gulf States Institute that Israel was among the countries that “have stepped up to provide real assistance to the UAE.”

He added: “Primarily, the United States and Israel have proved to be true allies by offering support through extensive military aid, intelligence sharing, and diplomatic backing.:

The report comes as Israel’s missile defence technology continues to attract international interest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously urged Israel to share Iron Dome capabilities with Kyiv, though those requests have not been approved.

The Iron Dome system, developed to intercept short-range rockets and missiles, has become one of Israel’s most recognisable defence technologies and is credited with preventing large-scale civilian casualties during repeated conflicts.