TEL AVIV — Israel has deployed Iron Dome anti-missile batteries and sent personnel to operate them in the United Arab Emirates to help defend the country during the Iran war, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday.
Huckabee made the comment on stage at the Tel Aviv Conference, underscoring an expanding security relationship between Israel and the UAE — two states long wary of Iran — as a fragile ceasefire holds. He warned that the Strait of Hormuz remains a strategic pressure point for Tehran and noted that talks between the U.S. and Iran appear stalled, raising the risk the conflict could flare again.
A former Arkansas governor, Baptist minister and one-time presidential candidate, Huckabee praised the UAE as “the first Abraham Accord member” and highlighted what he described as tangible benefits from normalization. “Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them,” he said.
The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms that formally recognized Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Huckabee’s remarks.
Huckabee said he was “very optimistic” that additional regional states will join the Abraham Accords. He also argued Gulf governments now face a choice about who poses the greater threat: “Is it more likely they will be attacked by Iran or Israel? They see that Israel helped us and Iran attacked us. Israel is not trying to take over your land, and is not sending missiles to you.”
Many Arab governments, however, remain angered by Israel’s extensive military operations following Hamas’ 2023 attack, including the heavy destruction in the Gaza Strip and strikes on Iran-aligned groups across the region. Israel also exerts control over territory and conducts operations in parts of Lebanon and Syria, factors that continue to complicate regional diplomacy and security calculations.