UAE Requests Israel’s Iron Dome to Counter Iranian Missile Threat

The United Arab Emirates requested Israeli assistance to counter Iranian missile and drone attacks using the Iron Dome defense system, according to multiple Indonesian and international media reports.

The request came amid sustained Iranian strikes targeting Emirati military and civilian infrastructure during the 2026 Israel-Iran conflict, with the UAE seeking to bolster its air defense capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

Indonesian news outlets SINDOnews Internasional, BisnisUpdate.com, ChannelSulawesi.id, and #Lelemuku reported that the UAE formally asked Israel for Iron Dome batteries and personnel to operate them, marking a significant deepening of security cooperation between the two nations since the Abraham Accords.

Web search results confirm that Israel subsequently deployed an operational Iron Dome battery complete with Tamir interceptors and several dozen Israel Defense Forces personnel to the UAE, representing the first overseas combat use of the system and the first time it has been sent to another country outside of Israel and the United States.

The deployment followed a direct call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, after which Israel transferred the missile defense system to help counter Iranian attacks that included approximately 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and over 2,200 drones launched against Emirati territory.

Emirati officials described the Israeli intervention as a “real eye-opening moment,” noting that battlefield support—not diplomacy alone—is now shaping strategic loyalties across the Gulf amid the broader regional conflict between Israel and Iran.

The move transforms the strategic normalization established under the 2020 Abraham Accords into direct wartime military integration, creating a new Gulf air defense architecture specifically designed to counter Iran’s missile and drone campaign across the region.

While most Iranian projectiles fired at the UAE were intercepted by the deployed Iron Dome system, some strikes reportedly reached military and civilian targets, prompting Abu Dhabi to seek additional assistance from its allies to protect critical infrastructure.