Two senior US envoys have publicly confirmed that Israel deployed Iron Dome anti-missile batteries and personnel to the United Arab Emirates during the recent US-Israel war on Iran, marking the first official acknowledgement of the system’s use in the Gulf state.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed the deployment during an event in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, saying Israel had sent Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help defend the UAE during the conflict.
“I’d like to say a word of appreciation for the United Arab Emirates, the first Abraham accord member,” Huckabee said at the Tel Aviv Conference. “Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.”
Huckabee remarks came a day after US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz confirmed that Israel’s Iron Dome system was used to intercept Iranian missiles targeting the UAE, marking the first public official confirmation that the system had been deployed and used in the Gulf state during the recent war.
The United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, diplomatically recognised Israel in 2020.
The UAE did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the acknowledgement by Huckabee, though it underlined the growing defence relationship between the countries long suspicious of Iran.
