Israel Deploys Iron Dome to UAE

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that Israel sent Iron Dome anti-missile batteries and trained personnel to the United Arab Emirates to defend against Iranian attacks during the recent war. The disclosure marks the first public confirmation of such direct Israeli military assistance to the Gulf state, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords negotiated during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Huckabee made the remarks at a conference in Tel Aviv, crediting the Abraham Accords for enabling the partnership. “I think that the UAE is an example. They were the first Abraham members. But look at the benefits that they have had as a result of it — Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate it,” he said.

The deployment occurred as both nations faced Iranian missile and drone strikes, even after a shaky ceasefire took hold last month. The revelation came as Kuwait accused Iran of attempting an attack earlier this month on Bubiyan Island, where China is helping construct the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Kuwait said a Revolutionary Guard team tried to infiltrate the island on May 1 to carry out hostile acts. Its forces detained four men, wounded one security official and said two others escaped. Iran did not immediately respond to the Kuwait allegation or Huckabee’s comments about the Iron Dome deployment.

The accusations and continued regional attacks have raised fears that the fragile ceasefire could collapse, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining under Iranian pressure and U.S. negotiations with Tehran at a standstill.

The deployment represents the first publicly acknowledged stationing of Israeli military assets and personnel in the UAE. Both countries have grown closer in their suspicions of Iran since the 2020 normalization. A UAE Air Force jet landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, according to social media reports citing regional developments.

Huckabee also used the appearance to urge additional Gulf states to join the Abraham Accords. He expressed optimism that more countries would normalize relations with Israel despite widespread Arab anger over Israeli military operations in Gaza and against Iranian allies.

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Huckabee voiced doubts about the International Stabilization Force authorized by the United Nations Security Council as part of Trump’s 21-point ceasefire plan for Gaza. The force, intended to secure the territory after Hamas disarms and Israeli troops withdraw, would include personnel from volunteering nations including five Muslim-majority countries.

“That is not so much a demilitarizing force as it is a monitoring the border force,” Huckabee said of the proposed multinational contingent. “Who’s going to actually do the disarming? I don’t know. ” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to seize Hamas weapons by force if the group does not surrender them.

Egypt and Jordan have offered to help train a new Palestinian police force, but a committee of Palestinian technocrats nominated to run day-to-day governance in Gaza has yet to enter the enclave. Negotiations remain gridlocked, with Israeli forces controlling more than half the territory and both sides accusing each other of ceasefire violations.

Hamas has refused to disarm, while Israel has declined to withdraw further until the group relinquishes its arsenal and tunnels. >"The world can’t condemn Israel for doing what it didn’t have the courage to do, and that’s taking Hamas down. The Wall Street Journal reported that the outpost, built with U.S. knowledge, housed special forces, served as a logistical hub and included search-and-rescue capacity for downed pilots.

Iraqi forces clashed with unidentified personnel in the Najaf desert area in early March, suffering one dead and two wounded. Iraqi officials and politicians reacted strongly to the claims. Lieutenant-General Qais al-Muhammadawi announced deployment of regiments after reports of suspicious movement, though the search found nothing.

The episode underscored ongoing tensions in Iraq, where Iranian influence remains strong. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress on Tuesday that the Pentagon was not running low on munitions despite the conflict. “We know exactly what we have, we have plenty of what we need,” he said.

The Pentagon’s top budget official estimated the cost of U.S. involvement in the war at close to $29 billion. In Bahrain, courts sentenced at least two dozen people on charges including espionage and conspiring with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, with three receiving life terms.

The island nation has intensified such cases since the war began. Huckabee did not provide additional details on the precise role of the proposed border monitoring force or how disarming would occur if the international contingent proved unwilling. The U.S. Embassy in Israel did not respond to requests for clarification on his remarks.