U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday that Israel sent Iron Dome air-defense batteries and personnel to the United Arab Emirates to help protect it from Iranian attacks during the war. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Huckabee made the comments at an event in Tel Aviv on May 12, saying Israel had sent the UAE the systems and crews needed to operate them. He linked the deployment to the Abraham Accords and called the UAE a close partner of Israel. [1, 2, 4, 6]
The remarks amount to the first official confirmation of a deployment that had been reported by other media in recent weeks. The reports said the help was meant to support the UAE as Iranian attacks continued during the current truce. [2, 1, 3, 5, 6]
Israel and the UAE established formal ties under the Abraham Accords in 2020. Reports say the war with Iran began on Feb. 28, after U.S. and Israeli strikes, and that Iran then retaliated with attacks on Gulf states, including the UAE. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Huckabee also quoted appreciation for the UAE and described it as the first Abraham Accords member, while other reports simply said the two countries established ties under the accords. On March 17, UAE adviser Anwar Gargash said Iranian attacks on Arab neighbors would strengthen ties between Israel and Arab states that already have relations with Israel. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
The next key date in the timeline is May 12, when Huckabee publicly confirmed the deployment in Tel Aviv. [1, 2, 3, 4, 6]
