Israel reportedly deployed an Iron Dome air defence battery, and several dozen troops to operate it, to the United Arab Emirates early in the war with Iran , marking the first known operational use of the system on Arab soil and outside Israel and the United States. Axios said on Monday that after a call between Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel secretly sent an Iron Dome battery , interceptors and several dozens of Israeli military personnel to the UAE at an early stage of the conflict with Iran.
The battery, operated by Israeli troops on Emirati soil, reportedly intercepted "many" incoming Iranian missiles aimed at the UAE, though officials did not specify how many or where the system was positioned.
Israeli and Emirati officials told Axios that the deployment was coordinated rapidly as Iran’s attacks intensified and was kept secret until now due to its political sensitivity in the Gulf.
The UAE has been the most heavily targeted country in the Gulf since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February. US and Israeli strikes hit Iranian leadership and military sites and Tehran in turn retaliated by attacking what it said were American and Israeli assets in the region.
According to figures released by the Emirati defence ministry, Iran has fired around 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones at the country, most of which were intercepted but some of which hit military or civilian targets.
In addition to deploying Iron Dome, Israeli warplanes have carried out strikes against short‑range missile launchers in southern Iran to prevent further attacks on the UAE and other Gulf states, Israeli officials told Axios .
Emirati officials framed Israel as one of several partners — alongside the US, UK, France, Italy and Australia — that "stepped up" to help defend Emirati territory during the barrage.
The reported cooperation suggests a deepening military, security and intelligence partnership between Israel and the UAE that has accelerated under the pressure of the Iran war.
Since normalising relations in 2020, Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv have expanded cooperation in surveillance, cyber, energy and arms, but the presence of Israeli combat personnel running an air‑defence system inside the UAE represents a qualitatively new step.
Officials from both sides told Axios their partnership is now "closer than ever", despite public disagreements over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
A senior Emirati official quoted by the outlet said the UAE "will not forget" Netanyahu’s decision to divert a prized defensive asset abroad at a time when Israel itself faced sustained Iranian missile and drone attacks.