Tue 12 May 2026:

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, says Israel sent Iron Dome missile defence batteries and Israeli troops to the United Arab Emirates to help it defend against Iranian attacks.

Waltz first made the comment on Monday and was quoted by Israel Hayom newspaper as saying, “We saw the UAE make use of the Iron Dome provided to it by Israel.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed Waltz’s comments today at an event.

“I’d like to say a word of appreciation for United Arab Emirates, the first Abraham accord member,” Huckabee said at the Tel Aviv Conference. “Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.”

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, says Israel sent Iron Dome missile defence batteries and Israeli troops to the United Arab Emirates to help it defend against Iranian attacks. pic.twitter.com/ItuzIltZBS

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) May 12, 2026

The comments underline the growing defence relationship between Israel and the UAE.

Huckabee added he’s “very optimistic” that additional countries in the Middle East will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal that also included Bahrain for formal relations with Israel.

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Netanyahu holds rare call with UAE president

Last week, the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a rare phone call, underscoring their countries’ deepening relations in the wake of the Iran war.

Netanyahu was among the leaders who called the UAE president, known as MBZ, following Iran’s attacks on the UAE on Monday, according to WAM, the Arab country’s state news agency. He expressed solidarity with the UAE and “support for all measures it takes to safeguard its security,” WAM said on Wednesday.

The UAE is one of only a few Arab countries to formally recognize Israel, having signed the Abraham Accords in 2020. Yet this is the first call between MBZ and Netanyahu that WAM’s announced since early 2023.

Despite the US-backed accords, there were tensions for years, in large part because the UAE was frustrated with Israel for refusing to work toward Palestinian statehood. Those strains worsened when Netanyahu formed the Jewish state’s most right-wing government in history in late 2022, and by the war in Gaza triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023.

Still, military and intelligence cooperation has increased since Iran retaliated against US-Israeli attacks in late February by firing thousands of drones and missiles at the UAE and other Arab nations.

MBZ’s government has criticized the six member Gulf Cooperation Council — which includes the likes of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait — for not doing more to stand up to Iran. During a private discussion last month with European officials, MBZ said the GCC was dysfunctional and that the UAE would reinforce ties with Israel and the US, Bloomberg reported.

Israel has helped the UAE with air defense since the Iran war began and sent it an Iron Dome battery with several dozen interceptors, according to Axios.

The UAE’s disgruntlement with Arab neighbors was one of the triggers for its announcement last week that it was leaving OPEC, the oil cartel.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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