Israel sent its Iron Dome missile defense system to the United Arab Emirates during the ongoing conflict with Iran, marking a first-of-its-kind deployment aimed at helping defend the Gulf nation from sustained Iranian attacks, according to a report published Sunday.

The move, which had not been disclosed until now, was revealed by Axios, citing two Israeli officials and one U.S. official familiar with the matter.

Security coordination between Israel and the UAE has significantly deepened since the war began on Feb. 28, when joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s political leadership and key military sites.

According to the report, the UAE has faced the heaviest barrage of Iranian fire among countries in the region. The Emirati Defense Ministry said Iran has fired about 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones at the country.

While a large portion of those projectiles were intercepted, some managed to hit both civilian and military locations.

Israeli officials said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the transfer of an Iron Dome battery, including interceptors and dozens of Israeli personnel to operate the system, following a conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

A senior official told Axios this marked the first time Israel had deployed an Iron Dome battery outside its borders, and the UAE became the first country, aside from the U.S. and Israel, where the system was actively used.

In addition to the deployment, the Israeli Air Force carried out preemptive interceptions of short-range missiles in southern Iran before they could be launched toward the UAE and other Gulf states.

Israel and the UAE formalized relations in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, an agreement brokered during President Donald Trump’s first term that also included Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

Despite occasional disagreements, including over matters related to Gaza, officials from both nations told Axios that their alliance has grown stronger than ever during the conflict.

Tareq Alotaiba, a former member of the UAE’s National Security Council, wrote in an analysis Friday for the Arab Gulf States Institute that Israel was among the countries that “have stepped up to provide real assistance to the UAE.”

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

A senior Emirati official emphasized the importance of the assistance, telling Axios that support from Israel and Netanyahu came at a decisive moment: “We are not going to forget it.”

Another Emirati official echoed that sentiment, noting that multiple allies played key roles in defending the UAE, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia.

“It was a real eye-opening moment [seeing] who our real friends are,” the second official said.

{Matzav.com}