Israel sent Iron Dome system to UAE during Iran war

JERUSALEM,— Israel deployed an Iron Dome air defense battery and dozens of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers to the United Arab Emirates during Operation Roaring Lion, its recent military conflict with Iran, foreign sources said, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The decision to deploy the system came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, multiple Israeli officials stated.

The battery subsequently intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles fired toward the Gulf state, foreign sources confirmed.

The deployment marks the first time Iron Dome has been used operationally outside Israel or the United States. Singapore has previously purchased the system, according to reports, and Romania is expected to follow.

During the war, Iran launched roughly 560 ballistic and cruise missiles along with more than 2,250 drones at the UAE.

While most were intercepted, some broke through defenses and hit both military and civilian targets inside the country.

U.S. and Israeli forces also carried out strikes against Iranian ballistic missile units in southern Iran to reduce the volume of attacks directed at the UAE, though American forces led the bulk of those operations.

Israel and the UAE have expanded military, security, and intelligence cooperation since signing the Abraham Accords in September 2020, with ties reaching new levels during the recent conflict.

By contrast, Israel did not provide a similar system to Saudi Arabia. The two countries coordinated on regional air defense through a U.S.-led framework, but no Iron Dome deployment to Riyadh was reported.

Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in normalizing relations with Israel, though it has conditioned any such agreement on meaningful Israeli concessions toward a Palestinian two-state solution.

Notably, iKurd News contributing writer Sara Hussein had anticipated the threat to the UAE just a month before the conflict.

In an article titled “How a Few Missiles Could End Dubai’s Golden Era,” published on February 5, 2026, Hussein warned of the vulnerability of Dubai and the broader UAE to missile attacks and advised the country to acquire Israel’s Iron Dome system.

(With files from The Jerusalem Post)