Monday, April 27, 2026, 11:39 a.m
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The Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system/FOTO: idf.il
Israel took an unprecedented step: for the first time it deployed the “Iron Dome” air defense system outside its borders, choosing a geopolitically sensitive territory – the United Arab Emirates. The decision comes amid escalating conflict with Iran and reflects a major shift in regional security dynamics.
Thus, the “Iron Dome” now protects, for the first time, the skies of an Arab country, in a context where missile and drone threats have become almost constant. According to information published by Axios, citing Israeli and American officials, the system has already been operationalized and Israeli military personnel have been sent to the Emirates to ensure the operation of the defense battery.
Sources indicate that this decision was taken directly by the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahufollowing a discussion with the President of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed. Since the outbreak of the conflict with Iran, cooperation between the two states has visibly intensified, both at the military and political levels.
The data provided by the Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates outline the size of the threat: about 550 ballistic and cruise missiles, but also more than 2,200 drones, have been launched by Iran towards the Emirati territory. Although most were intercepted, some hit military and civilian targets, increasing pressure on local authorities.
However, the Israeli military presence on the territory of an Arab state remains a sensitive subject. Emirati officials admit that it is a sensitive decision, but the security context has changed public perception: any concrete support in the defense of the country is currently well received by the population.
Relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, normalized in 2020, have evolved rapidly, despite occasional differences, including on the issue of the conflict in aerate. At this moment, the partnership between the two states seems more solid than ever, strengthened by an increasingly tense regional reality.
