Israel deployed an Iron Dome battery and dozens of IDF troops to the United Arab Emirates during the recent conflict with Iran.

Although The Jerusalem Post and other outlets reported the development on April 26 and had to attribute it to foreign sources at the time, Transportation Minister Miri Regev has now confirmed the account publicly, allowing direct reporting without such attribution.

Israeli officials indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to send the system after a telephone conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed.

Dozens of Iranian missiles directed at the Gulf state were intercepted by the battery.

This marked the first operational deployment of Iron Dome outside the United States or Israel, although Singapore has acquired the system and Romania is slated to receive it as well.

Iran launched hundreds more ballistic and cruise missiles at UAE than at Israel during the war

Military and intelligence ties between Israel and the UAE have strengthened since the Abraham Accords of September 2020 and reached new levels during the recent conflict with Iran.

Iran fired several hundred additional ballistic and cruise missiles at the UAE compared with Israel and also launched thousands of drones toward the country.

While most projectiles were intercepted, a number penetrated defenses and struck both military and civilian sites.

The United States, with some Israeli assistance, carried out strikes on Iranian missile units in southern Iran to limit further launches against the UAE.

Although Israel and Saudi Arabia coordinated air defense efforts through a US-led regional framework, no reports indicate that Israel supplied a comparable system to Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia has signaled interest in normalization with Israel but conditions any agreement on significant concessions regarding a two-state solution with the Palestinians.