The United Arab Emirates, which has withdrawn from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is strengthening defense cooperation with Israel. Israel has provided weapons systems to the UAE to help defend against Iranian missile attacks.
According to the Financial Times on the 30th of last month (local time), Israel supplied the UAE with weapons systems including the "Iron Beam" laser and a Spectro detection system, marking the first major case of defense cooperation between the two countries.
The Spectro detection system provided by Israel is reportedly capable of detecting Iran's Shahed drones from up to 20 kilometers away. Shahed drones are small in size and emit weak thermal signatures, making them difficult to identify while in flight toward their targets.
The Iron Beam laser, which can destroy short-range rockets and drones, was also included on the support list. Iron Beam was first deployed in Israel earlier this year to counter attacks from Lebanon's Hezbollah. Axios previously reported that Israel's multi-layered air defense network "Iron Dome" was also delivered to the UAE in the early stages of the Iran war. Dozens of Israeli soldiers were reportedly dispatched along with these weapons.
The UAE is the country that has faced the most retaliatory attacks from Iran. Iran launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones at the UAE. In addition to weapons, Israel shared intelligence regarding short-range missile launches targeting the UAE from western Iran, the FT reported.
Analysts say the relationship between the UAE and Israel, which first began exchanges after signing the Abraham Accords brokered by the United States in 2020, is becoming more solid. The UAE has criticized its Gulf neighbors for their lukewarm response to Iran's attacks and has declared it will strengthen ties with the United States and Israel. On the 28th of last month, it abruptly announced its withdrawal from OPEC, signaling its intent to break away from the Saudi Arabia-led order that has long defined the Gulf.
"The UAE feels it no longer needs to be bound by organizations that do not serve its interests," said Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, D.C.
At the same time, the UAE is turning to a tougher stance toward Iran. The UAE Foreign Ministry on the same day banned its citizens from traveling to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, citing instability in the Middle East, and advised immediate return home.
