Israel Said to Have Helped Defend Emirates in Iran War With Iron Dome
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile defense system in the United Arab Emirates during the Iran war, marking the first known deployment of the system in an Arab country and highlighting deepening defense cooperation between the two nations.
- Israeli soldiers operated the Iron Dome on Emirati soil, reflecting the close ties established since the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE in 2020 under the Abraham Accords.
- The UAE has been targeted heavily by Iranian missile and drone attacks during the conflict, with its air defenses engaging nearly 3,000 threats, including difficult-to-intercept Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones.
- This deployment underscores the UAE's strategic pivot away from traditional regional alliances, including a distancing from Saudi Arabia, exemplified by its recent withdrawal from OPEC.
- Both Israeli and Emirati officials have declined to comment on the Iron Dome deployment, which comes amid ongoing regional tensions following the U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran and subsequent retaliatory strikes.
