US Ambassador Mike Walz confirmed on 11/5 that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is using the Iron Dome air defense system, which Israel transferred to the Gulf nation. Speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Walz stated, "We have seen the UAE use the Iron Dome system that Israel transferred to them. Israel's position in the region is changing significantly." This marks the first official US confirmation of the deployment and the first time the system has been utilized outside of the United States and Israel.

The confirmation follows a 5/5 CNN report that Israel secretly deployed the Iron Dome to the UAE early in the Middle East conflict. According to anonymous Israeli officials who spoke to Axios, the deployment was ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The system reportedly participated in intercepting Iranian attacks on 4/5, though the number of targets shot down remains unclear.

This reflects the strengthening relationship between Israel and the UAE since they normalized relations in 2020. This bilateral bond has continued even after Israel faced strong criticism from Arab nations for its military campaign in the Gaza Strip in late 2023.

Ambassador Walz had previously alluded to this cooperation on Fox News Sunday on 10/5, mentioning that "the UAE and Israel are working together in military cooperation," but without specifying the Iron Dome. However, neither UAE nor Israeli officials have officially confirmed the information.

Israel's multi-layered air defense network. *Click to view full image*

The Iron Dome forms the innermost layer of Israel's multi-layered air defense. It specializes in intercepting slow-moving, low-flying, and predictable targets such as rockets, mortars, and low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). While Israel has upgraded the system's radar and missiles over the years, giving it a limited capability against ballistic missiles, it is not primarily designed for this purpose. The Iron Dome is considered a last-resort option when longer-range defense systems have been compromised.

Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Israel's state defense corporation Rafael, stated on 11/5 that the Iron Dome achieved an effectiveness of up to 99% in preventing rockets and missiles from Hamas in Gaza and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon. The deployment to the UAE comes as the Gulf nation has faced intense attacks since the Middle East conflict began on 28/2. Iran has launched approximately 550 ballistic and cruise missiles, alongside over 2,200 UAVs, making the UAE a more heavily targeted area than Israel.

Nguyen Tien (According to Times of Israel, AP, AFP)