Israel sent Iron Dome system, team to UAE during recent Iran war, Miri Regev confirms

Israel has publicly confirmed the deployment of an Iron Dome system and dozens of its troops to the United Arab Emirates during the recent war with Iran. Transportation Minister Miri Regev officially verified the report, which had previously been attributed to "foreign sources" by The Jerusalem Post and other media outlets on April 26. The confirmation removes the need for anonymous sourcing for this event.

The decision to send the Iron Dome battery and interceptors was reportedly made following a phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. During the conflict, the Israeli-provided system successfully intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles fired towards the Gulf state. This deployment represents the first time the Iron Dome has been utilized operationally outside of Israel or the United States, although Singapore has reportedly acquired the system, and Romania is expected to do so.

Military, security, and intelligence cooperation between Israel and the UAE has intensified since the signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020, reaching new heights during the recent Iran war. Iran launched several hundred more ballistic and cruise missiles, along with thousands of drones, at the UAE compared to Israel. While the majority of these projectiles were intercepted, some penetrated the defense shield, striking both military and civilian targets within the UAE.

In response to the missile barrages, both the U.S. and Israel conducted strikes against Iranian ballistic missile teams in southern Iran to reduce the volume of incoming fire directed at the UAE. In contrast, while Israel and Saudi Arabia cooperated on regional air defense through a U.S.-mediated framework, there have been no reports of Israel providing such a system to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in normalization with Israel, contingent on significant concessions toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

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Multiple Israeli officials have stated that the decision to send the Iron Dome battery and interceptors was made after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ).