Transportation Minister and Cabinet member Miri Regev confirmed this morning (Sunday) that Israel transferred Iron Dome batteries to the United Arab Emirates during Operation Lion’s Roar. It’s the first public confirmation by a Cabinet member of the move, which until now had been shrouded in official ambiguity by both Israel and the UAE.
1+In an interview with IDF Radio, Regev addressed the ballistic missile threat in the region. “They understood that ballistic missiles are one of the biggest challenges,” she said. “The Emirates are getting help from us.”
Until now, Israeli officials avoided confirming reports about the Iron Dome transfer to the UAE. Abu Dhabi also refrained from publicly addressing the security cooperation, leaving the matter deliberately vague.
1+About two months ago, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee revealed the deployment during a conference at Tel Aviv University. According to Huckabee, Israel transferred Iron Dome batteries to the UAE and even sent teams to operate the system—a move made possible, he said, by the Abraham Accords.
Regev’s remarks effectively mark the first official confirmation by a Cabinet member of the defense system transfer to the UAE, joining a series of security collaborations between the countries since the Abraham Accords were signed—many of which don’t receive public confirmation.