Israel Sent Iron Beam Laser System To UAE To Defend Against Iranian Missiles And Drones

Israel sent a version of its Iron Beam laser-based air defense system to the United Arab Emirates during the recent fighting with Iran, according to a report cited by The Times of Israel and Middle East Eye.

The Times of Israel says the deployment was to help protect the Gulf nation from missile and drone attacks, and it adds that Jerusalem also sent an advanced surveillance system known as Spectro to help the UAE detect Iranian drones from up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) away.

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Middle East Eye likewise reports that Israel supplied Abu Dhabi with a laser defense system and other advanced weapons during the war on Iran, citing the Financial Times.

Middle East Eye says the Iron Beam version was sent to Abu Dhabi to help defend against Iranian drones and missiles, and it describes the system as designed to intercept short-range rockets and drones.

Both outlets tie the delivery to the system’s first deployment by Israel in December 2025, with Middle East Eye stating that the advanced system was “first deployed by Israel in December 2025.”

The Times of Israel adds that the Iron Beam was only recently integrated into the Israel Defense Forces’ defense array, with the first operational system delivered to the military in December 2025, and it says the system was declared operational in September after completing development and final tests.

The reporting also links the package to real-time intelligence sharing, with The Times of Israel saying Jerusalem provided the UAE with real-time intelligence on missile launches from Iran heading toward the Gulf state.

The reporting describes a broader set of defense cooperation beyond the laser system, including surveillance and air defense, with multiple outlets tying the deployments to the tempo of the Iran war.

The Times of Israel says the Financial Times reported that Jerusalem also sent “additional, unspecified weapons systems to the UAE,” and it quotes a source familiar with the matter saying, “It’s not a small number of boots on the ground.”

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Middle East Eye similarly says Axios reported that Israel had also sent an Iron Dome air defense system to the Gulf state, along with personnel to operate it, and it adds that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the deployment of the system’s battery, including interceptors and “several dozen trained soldiers.”

i24NEWS frames the package as major defense cooperation in the first real test of the Abraham Accords alliance, saying Jerusalem deployed the Iron Beam laser, a Spectro drone detection system, and an Iron Dome to Abu Dhabi as Iran fired 2,500 projectiles at the gulf state, according to a Financial Times report.

i24NEWS also says Israel’s Spectro surveillance system was rushed to the UAE to help detect incoming drones, including Iranian Shahed drones, from as far as 20 kilometers away, and it describes the Iron Beam as vaporizing short-range rockets and drones.

The Times of Israel adds that the defensive systems were mostly prototypes or otherwise not fully integrated into Israel’s own systems, and it says this was done “to keep up with the fast pace of the war.”

It also explains the Iron Beam’s intended role within Israel’s defense array, saying it is intended to supplement and complement Iron Dome and other air defense systems by shooting down smaller projectiles while leaving larger ones for missile-based batteries such as David’s Sling and Arrow systems.

The outlets place the deployments within a specific conflict timeline that began with a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran in February and included sustained missile and drone attacks aimed at the UAE.

Middle East Eye says that after the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran in February, Tehran responded by firing rockets and drones at Israeli and US targets across the region, and it states that the UAE was among the most heavily targeted.

It reports that authorities said Iran launched around 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones at the country, and it adds that while most were intercepted, debris caused damage in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, including at the Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Airport and the Fujairah oil industrial zone.

The Times of Israel provides a similar but more detailed range, saying that between February 28 and April 8, when a tenuous ceasefire took effect, Tehran fired some 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones, according to the Emirati defense ministry.

The Times of Israel also says the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes in southern Iran during the war to neutralize short-range missiles threatening Gulf states.

i24NEWS adds that the war that followed the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran in February marked the first major sustained test of the Israel-UAE alliance, and it describes the UAE as one of Iran’s primary targets partly because of its close embrace of the Abraham Accords.

The Times of Israel also notes that Netanyahu ordered deployment following a call with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The reporting ties the defense cooperation to the Abraham Accords and to the broader diplomatic and security relationship between Israel and the UAE.

The Times of Israel says Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi established diplomatic, economic and security ties in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, a deal motivated in part by the shared threat of Iran.

Haaretz

It also notes that although Bahrain signed the accords at the same time and, like the UAE, came under attack from Iran during recent fighting, there is no indication as to whether it received similar support from Israel.

Middle East Eye similarly says Israel and the UAE normalized relations in 2020 under a US-brokered agreement and have since developed close strategic, military and economic ties.

i24NEWS describes the deployments as one of the first major defense cooperation efforts between the two states, which did not establish formal diplomatic relations until the 2020 Abraham Accords brokered by US President Donald Trump.

i24NEWS also says Israel had previously sold the UAE its Barak and Spyder air defense systems, and it describes the two countries as having developed increasingly close economic and military ties since normalization.

Middle East Eye includes claims from Iranian officials that they believe the UAE was actively participating in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The sources also connect the defense deployments to the broader escalation and to the state of hostilities after a temporary ceasefire, while describing what comes next in terms of continued negotiations and deeper ties.

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Financial Times

Middle East Eye says that last month, the US agreed a temporary ceasefire with Iran, halting hostilities and restarting negotiations, which have yet to produce any major breakthroughs.

Haaretz

The Times of Israel similarly says that between February 28 and April 8, when a tenuous ceasefire took effect, Tehran fired some 550 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones, and it describes the period as the most targeted stretch of the conflict for the UAE.

i24NEWS says Abu Dhabi has since made clear it intends to deepen its ties with both the US and Israel while criticizing Arab and Muslim institutions for what it views as an inadequate response to Iran's aggression.

The Times of Israel adds that reports that Israel has provided significant military assistance to the UAE appear to be among the first publicly disclosed cases of cooperation beyond joint training exercises.

Haaretz reports that Israel “rushed” the laser air-defense system to the UAE to counter Iran attacks, citing the Financial Times and sources familiar with the deployment and preparations.

Across the reporting, the emphasis is on the operational need created by the missile and drone offensive, with The Times of Israel describing the Iron Beam as intended to supplement Iron Dome and other air defense systems and with Middle East Eye describing Spectro’s ability to detect incoming drones from up to 20km away.