Alleged Deployment of Demir Kubbe to the United Arab Emirates (2026)

Allegations of the Iron Dome System Deployment to the United Arab Emirates (2026) refer to reports published on April 26, 2026, by the US-based news platform Axios, claiming that during the early stages of the Iran-Israel war, Israel had sent a battery of the Iron Dome air defense system along with dozens of military personnel to operate it to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Initially based on anonymous sources, these reports were publicly confirmed on May 12, 2026 by United States Permanent Representative to the UN Mike Waltz and on May 13 by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

This development has been recorded as the first official deployment of the Iron Dome system outside Israel and the United States.

According to Axios’s report dated April 26, 2026, Israel is alleged to have sent a battery of the Iron Dome system and dozens of military personnel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the first days of its war with Iran. The report is based on statements from two Israeli officials and one US official whose identities were not disclosed.

According to the allegations, the deployment was prompted by Iran’s intense targeting of the UAE following the outbreak of hostilities. According to data released by the UAE Ministry of Defense, during the conflict, approximately 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and over 2,200 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were directed at the country. The majority of these attacks were intercepted by existing air defense systems, but some munitions struck military and civilian targets. Official figures indicate that 11 people were killed and 188 injured as a result of the attacks.

Following the publication of the Axios report, neither UAE nor Israeli authorities issued any official statement confirming or denying the allegations.

According to the Axios report, after the intensification of Iranian attacks, a direct phone call took place between UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is claimed that during this call, the UAE requested security assistance.

Following this development, it is alleged that Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to deploy a battery of the Iron Dome system, equipped with countermeasure missiles, along with dozens of personnel to the UAE.

A senior Israeli official speaking to Axios stated that this deployment marked the first time the Iron Dome system had been sent to another country. The same official noted that the United Arab Emirates had become the first country outside the US and Israel to operate the system.

A second Israeli official cited in the report claimed that the Iron Dome system deployed to the UAE had successfully intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles.

Diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE were formalized under the Abraham Accords signed in 2020. Under this agreement, both countries declared their intent to cooperate in education, health, energy, trade, and security, and implemented measures including the exchange of ambassadors, the opening of diplomatic missions, and the launch of direct flights.

On May 12, 2026, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz publicly confirmed for the first time during a speech at an event hosted by the Israeli Mission to the UN in New York to mark Israeli Independence Day that Israel had sent the Iron Dome air defense system to the UAE.

According to Israel Hayom, Waltz stated at the event: "We have seen the UAE using the Iron Dome provided by Israel." The Times of Israel independently verified Waltz’s remarks through a source present at the event.

On May 13, 2026, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also confirmed during a speech at an event in Tel Aviv that the deployment of Iron Dome batteries and personnel to the UAE had taken place.

According to The Times of Israel, Huckabee said: "Israel sent Iron Dome batteries and personnel to operate them to the UAE. Why? Because there is an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords."

On May 13, 2026, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Netanyahu had made a secret visit to the UAE during the most intense phase of the war with Iran and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office described the meeting as "a historic breakthrough in relations between the two countries."

Reuters reported that the meeting took place on March 26, 2026 in Al Ain, a desert town near the Omani border, and lasted several hours. Netanyahu’s former spokesperson, Ziv Agmon, insisted on social media that the visit had occurred despite UAE denials. Agmon claimed that Netanyahu had disembarked from his prime ministerial aircraft and was received at the palace. Agmon stated: "As someone who knows the United Arab Emirates well and has lived there for many years, and as someone who accompanied the Prime Minister on this historically secretive visit, I can say that the Prime Minister was received in Abu Dhabi with the dignity befitting royalty."

In his further remarks, Agmon said: "Sheikh [Mohamed] bin Zayed, along with family members and other senior officials, welcomed us and expressed delight at having the Israeli Prime Minister on Emirati soil." He added: "The Sheikh showed great respect to the Prime Minister and personally escorted him from the aircraft to the palace in his own vehicle."

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement shortly after Netanyahu’s office released its claim, labeling the allegations of the visit as "completely baseless" and denying them outright.

On May 14, 2026, the UAE’s official news agency, WAM, published an official statement from the ministry: "The United Arab Emirates denies reports claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the UAE or that any Israeli military delegation was received in the country. The UAE reaffirms that its relations with Israel are public, well-known, and conducted strictly within the framework of the officially announced Abraham Accords, and not based on opaque or informal arrangements."

The ministry further stated: "Accordingly, all claims regarding unannounced visits or secret arrangements are completely baseless unless officially confirmed by relevant UAE authorities. The UAE calls on media outlets to adhere to principles of accuracy and professionalism, and to refrain from disseminating unverified information or spreading misleading political narratives."

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on his social media account, responded to the allegations regarding Netanyahu’s visit to the UAE by asserting that Iran’s intelligence services had been aware of the information long before it became public. Araghchi said: "Netanyahu is now publicly revealing what Iran’s security services had long ago communicated to our leadership."

Declaring that hostility toward the Iranian people was "a reckless gamble," Araghchi added: "Secret cooperation with Israel to achieve this is unforgivable. Those who sow seeds of division by cooperating with Israel will be held accountable."