Israel sent an Iron Dome air defense system with soldiers to operate it in the early stages of the war with Iran, two Israeli officials and one US official told Axios.
This unprecedented deployment of the Iron Dome system was not previously made public.
According to the report, the massive bombardment suffered by the UAE, which was targeted by Iran more than any other Gulf state, led it to reach out to its allies for assistance. Emirati leader Mohammed bin Zayed called Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who subsequently ordered the IDF to send an Iron Dome battery with interceptors and several dozen IDF soldiers to the UAE.
An Israeli official said that the system intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles in the UAE. In addition, the Israeli Air Force also carried out numerous strikes to destroy short-range missiles at positions in southern Iran before they could strike the UAE and other Gulf states
It was not only the first time that Israel sent an Iron Dome battery to another country, but it was the first time that any country apart from the US and Israel used the system.
Tareq al-Otaiba, a former official at the UAE’s national security council, wrote in an article for the Arab Gulf States Institute (AGSI) that Israel was one of 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,” al-Otaiba wrote.
A senior Emirati official referred to Israel’s assistance at the UAE’s time of need, saying: “We are not going to forget it.”
A second Emirati official added that not only Israel came to its assistance but other allies as well, including the US, UK, France, Italy, and Australia.
“It was a real eye-opening moment. To see who our real friends are,” he said.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
