US confirms Israel sent Iron Dome batteries to UAE

Israel sent Iron Dome air defence batteries along with soldiers to operate them ‌to the UAE amid the war on Iran, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed on Tuesday.

"Israel just sent them - [the UAE] - Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help them operate them. How come? Because there’s an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords," Huckabee said at an event in Tel Aviv, referring to the 2020 agreement under which the UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel.

Huckabee’s comments mark the first on-the-record confirmation of the assistance Israel has provided to the UAE amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Axios reported last month that Israel sent an Iron Dome air defence system to the Gulf state, along with personnel to operate it. The Financial Times later reported that Israel also sent its Iron Beam laser defence system to the UAE to defend against Iranian drones and missiles.

After the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran in February, Tehran responded by firing rockets and drones at Israeli and US targets across the region.

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